Peter Conde, Uki,
I live in Uki and recently I spotted a pair of Indian Myna birds on the north end of Mitchell Street. Since then they have called this area home and each morning and late afternoon I hear their calls in the vicinity of my house. It has been 20 years since I have seen these birds when I lived in Sydney. I recall that they were the only birdlife in the area.
This is because they are extremely territorial and drive away other birdlife. They destroy nests and young of other birds and can nest in hollow logs, thus depriving parrots and kookaburras of nesting opportunities. Their cluttering of these hollows can even deter possums from making a home.
With spring just around the corner, and thus the mating season, I felt compelled to contact the Indian Myna control officer at Tweed Shire Council. The officer came to my house and provided me with a trap and a decoy bird.
Hopefully I will be successful in trapping the feral pair before they produce chicks and thus a growing population. It would be an utter shame to have our beautiful wildlife driven away by these birds.
Therefore I urge other residents to become aware of these birds and act quickly should any be spotted. The phone number for the control officer is 6670 2778 or email [email protected].
