How do I get rid of Common (Indian) Mynas?

Probably the most disliked bird in the country, Common Mynas are one bird that people do not want around. They are increasing in number along the east coast of Australia and can be noisy and messy.

The main published data on the negative influence of the Common Myna on biodiversity in Australia has focussed on Canberra, following its release there in 1968. These relate mainly to observations of Common Mynas aggressively excluding hollow-nesting parrots from potential nest sites.  At present, the impact of Common Mynas on native bird communities across Australia is uncertain. In coastal locations, where Common Mynas have been established for a long period of time, studies have found no impacts of Common Mynas on the rest of the urban bird community. However, much more research is needed to improve our understanding of the possible impacts of this and many other introduced species. In locations where the Common Myna’s range is expanding, it is likely that their impact will be much more pronounced than where there has been populations established for decades.

Culling by trapping and euthanizing individual birds is both labour- and cost-intensive and the success of such control measures is unknown. Many councils and community groups have established trapping programs in an effort to cull this species. These programs do not usually target specific areas and instead, traps are simply provided to those on a wait list in order of the application. This approach is unlikely to be successful. Basically if you remove some mynas from your yard but they are still in the area, then you simply create a vacuum to draw more in.

So what can you do? You can still trap if this is a method you want to try (always ensure euthanizing is done humanely), but it needs to be done in conjunction with habitat modification. You need to make your yard unattractive for the mynas. Think about where you usually see them – hanging around the house/roof and on the open lawn space. Plant a shrubby layer wherever possible (and this is great for our small native birds), block holes in rooves where they may breed and ensure that they don’t have access to pet food or rubbish bins. If they are perching on your decking you can also try various methods outlined in the next FAQ.