Indian Myna Birds

Indian Myna birds were first introduced to Australia in 1862 to control insects. Due to their aggressive nature, Indian Mynas drive small birds out of gardens and will take on larger birds and other animals such as Blue Tongue Lizards. The Indian Myna bird is a highly successful scavenger and is now considered to be one of the most common introduced birds in towns and cities all along the east coast of Australia.

Indian Mynas pose a serious risk to our native wildlife as they will inhabit nesting hollows of native birds and arboreal mammals (mammals that primarily live in trees). It is an opportunistic feeder, whose diet can vary widely including eating birds’ eggs, chicks, insects, as well as pet food and human scraps.

To deter Indian Myna birds from your backyard, you can do the following:

  • Don’t leave food scraps or pet foods outside and ensure that rubbish bins and other potential food sources are covered.
  • Don’t feed birds in your backyard; It does more harm than good! Click here for more information.
  • Block potential nest sites, such as holes in roofs or gutters and remove any Myna nests you find in nest boxes or tree hollows on your property.
  • Modify habitat by:
    • reducing open lawns that Mynas forage in;
    • blocking cavities in roofs and install gutter guards or bird proofing;
    • planting native shrubs to attract native birds; and
    • removing introduced shrubs/trees that provide food/shelter for Mynas (e.g. Cocos Palms).

Council no longer offers residents the option to hire a trap. If you want to trap Indian Myna birds in your backyard, you have two options:

  1. Build your own trap. Plans to build your own trap are found here.
  2. Purchase a trap from Narellan Men’s Shed. Traps are available for purchase by contacting mensshednarellan@yahoo.com.au. The address for Narellan Men’s Shed is 1 Mount Annan Drive, Narellan (located behind the Macarthur Centre for Sustainable Living).

If you trap Indian Mynas on your property, it is important that you adhere to humane methods of euthanasia.

For more information regarding this program contact Council’s Sustainability Team on 13 CAMDEN