What does it look like?
Mynas are stocky brown birds with a shiny black heads and shoulders. They are commonly seen in pairs or in small family groups. Adult primaries are black when new but fade to brown. The base of primaries is white and all upper and lower coverts are also white. The tail is black when new, all feathers tipped in white which abrades off during the breeding season.
The bill and naked eye surround is bright yellow. The iris is dark brown over grey, with distinct white flecks. Legs are yellow brown and the claws horn-coloured. Juveniles have paler plumage, the bill is light yellow streaked with dark grey, and the skin around the eye is white for the first two weeks. Juvenile tail feathers are without white tips and the iris is grey.
Why is it a problem?
Mynas are territorial and aggressive toward other birds and have been known to remove native species from their nests for their own use. Where mynas gather in large numbers to feed on stock food, crops or fruit, they cause considerable economic loss.
Control methods
Poisoning
Bread laced with alphachloralose poison paste is the best method of control. Mynas should be pre-fed non-toxic bread bait for around a week, preferably at the same time and place each day, before the poison is added. This work is best done by an experienced contractor.
Shooting
This should not be attempted unless all birds can be killed on the first attempt, otherwise it will just disperse the remainder onto another area.
Cage Traps
There are live cage traps specifically designed to trap Mynas. Some of these traps can involve trapping a live Myna, then using this bird to attract other Mynas into the live capture trap.
NB: With any trap that holds a live animal -
A person who, for the purpose of capturing alive a mammal, bird, reptile, or amphibian, sets a trap or causes a trap to be set must inspect the trap, or cause a competent person to inspect that trap, within 12 hours after sunrise on each day the trap remains set, beginning on the day immediately after the day on which the trap is set.
