Mynas: The Birds That Were Meant to Help but Became a Problem

The article is written by Lish Fejer.

The topic is about invasive species.

The article was published on Saturday, 25 July 2026, at 8:11 am.

The common myna is a bird that was introduced to Australia to control insect pests, but it has now become a problem itself.

Many people do not want this bird in their backyard.

The Indian myna has a dark brown body, black head, and yellow features.

It was brought to Australia in the 1860s to deal with insects, but now it is the one causing trouble.

The president of the Canberra Indian Myna Action Group, Bill Handke, says that the myna competes with native birds for food and homes.

Mr Handke calls the myna a highly invasive species that is very aggressive to native birds.

The myna affects both large and small birds, especially those that live in hollows like rosellas.

The Indian myna has been very successful and has spread along the east coast of Australia.

People are trying to tackle the problem of the myna, which is like the cane toad of the sky.

Bill Handke says that the myna can be very aggressive to native birds.

A group was formed in 2006 to raise awareness about the myna and to lend traps to people to catch them.

Over the years, the group has worked with the government, animal welfare groups, and the community to control the myna population.

More than 3,000 households have been involved in trapping the mynas, and over 80,000 birds have been removed.

When the group first started, the myna was the third most common bird in Canberra, but after a dozen years, it was the 24th most common.

However, Mr Handke says that the progress has stopped, and the number of mynas has increased a lot.

There are many people who want traps, which shows that the myna problem is getting worse.

A recent survey shows that the myna is now the 10th most common bird in the area.

The government is not supporting the effort to control the myna as much as it used to.

The myna was introduced to Australia in the 1860s to deal with insect pests.

When the myna was declared a pest species in 2021, the group hoped that the government would help control it.

However, Mr Handke says that the government did not do much to help, and it is a mystery why.

A petition was signed by over 2,100 people in 2023, but it did not lead to any action.

Mr Handke says that the government should be helping to control the myna on public lands.

The myna is a bird that lives in urban areas.

The ACT government does not think that the myna is a priority species to manage.

The government says that if there was a big threat, they might take action.

The group disagrees with the government's view.

Mr Handke says that the environment is not just nature reserves, but also where people live.

The ACT government declared the myna a pest species in 2021, but did not introduce a control program.

The group says that the myna competes with native birds and hurts threatened insects.

There has been a change in the advice on how to dispose of the mynas.

The group uses a method that involves carbon monoxide to kill the mynas.

However, carbon dioxide is now the preferred method of disposal.

The RSPCA says that any control of the myna population needs to be done humanely.

The RSPCA is not against managing the myna population, but it needs to be done in a way that is justified and necessary.

The ACT government also says that it does not support encouraging the trapping and killing of mynas.

This problem is not just in Canberra, and some councils provide a disposal service for mynas.

The group has asked the government to provide a disposal service for mynas.

Mr Handke says that if the government is concerned about the method of disposal, they should provide a service.

The myna problem is not being addressed properly.

Mr Handke is calling on the government to take action to manage the myna population.

He says that without a sustained effort, the myna could become a major problem.

The government says that their work has not gone unnoticed.

However, there is still no clear solution to the myna problem.

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