How to Get Rid of Mynah Birds

Mynah Bird
The mynah bird is a member of the starling family. A native of Southeast Asia, the mynah has migrated and can now be found all over the world. The species is commonly thought of as invasive as it fights aggressively with native wildlife. It destroys the eggs and fledglings of other birds, reducing the overall biodiversity of any given area. It is hostile not just to other birds but to small mammals such as squirrels and possums. It also inflicts damage to crops, generates huge amounts of noise and has been known to spread diseases among other animals and even to people. If you have mynah birds and you'd like to get rid of them, follow the steps in the guide below.

Step 1

Limit the available sources of food. If you see mynah birds in your yard, immediately remove any bird feeders and stop leaving birdseed out. Additionally, you should begin feeding your pets inside as mynahs are opportunistic and will make use of almost any available source of nutrition. If you keep chickens or other domestic birds, ensure they are fed in an enclosed area that is inaccessible to mynahs. When feeding any other livestock, be sure to sweep up any grain spills immediately and remove any uneaten food.

Step 2

Reduce the available nesting sites. Mynahs like to build their nests inside tree hollows, gaps in roofing, cavities in eaves, and depressions found in overgrown shrubbery. You can decrease the attractive nesting sites in your yard by keeping your trees and shrubs well-trimmed and by filling in any holes in your woodwork. Also, you can line the edges of your roof and your windowsills with spikes so the birds are unable to roost there.

Step 3

Remove any existing bird nests. Be sure to wear a long-sleeved shirt, hat, face mask and protective gloves. Mynah birds often carry mites that can cause relentless itching and red, irritated rashes if you come into contact with them. Once the nest has been removed, place it into a plastic garbage bag, tie the bag shut and immediately remove the nest from your property.

Step 4

Make your home and yard as uninviting as possible. Use a combination of anti-bird-friendly techniques such as hanging pie tins from trees, spraying shrubs and foliage with pepper-spray, or booby-trapping areas the birds like to gather with a substance called Hot Foot, which functions in a manner similar to a glue board but which allows the bird to escape.

Step 5

Encourage natural predators. Adopt several large cats, if you can. They will help keep the birds away, though they may bring you any they are able to catch as a token of affection. If you cannot adopt live animals, then purchase a few pretenders -- plastic owls, rubber snakes, synthetic hawks -- and place them around your property, particularly in areas that might seem like good nesting sites. Artificial predators that are motion-activated tend to have the greatest effect.

Step 6

Set up a mynah trap. Contact your local extension office and ask them to bring a mynah trap to your property. Be sure they instruct you as to the proper use of the trap and the appropriate baits to use. Traps should be situated as far away from possible disturbances as possible and the bait should be the only available food source in the immediate area. Once the birds have been trapped, they can be collected and humanely disposed of by a qualified professional.

https://www.hunker.com/13405796/how-to-get-rid-of-mynah-birds

Comments

I never thought of mynah birds as a nuisance, but my only experience with them was at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. many years ago. One of the ladies in our group had a very distinctive laugh that sounded very much like braying, and one of the mynahs mimicked her laugh perfectly. It was like they were having a secret laughing language conversation, because the more the bird imitated her, the more she laughed. It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen.

Take care of yourself, sweet sir.
The Indian Mynahs (as opposed to our own mynahs) are indeed a pest in lots of areas - which is not their fault.
My brother has those mynah traps (which I much prefer to the dangerous ratsac option you mentioned) and the people at the RSPCA have got very familiar with him as he brings the birds in. We very rarely see them here.
Vest said…
How are Mynah birds disposed of by the RSPCA?


The Myna Magnet recommended and preferred method is euthanasia using carbon dioxide. This is widely viewed by animal welfare agencies including the RSPCA to be humane and in accordance with the Code of Practice for the Control and Use of Feral Animals.

How do you dispose of Indian myna birds?
Place the containment chamber with the trapped birds in a near-airtight bag or box, connect a greywater hose/pipe from the car exhaust pipe into the bag/box and run the cold car for a minute or so. The birds should be unconscious within 10-15 seconds and dead within 30-40 seconds. Or If you don't have these facilities, place the trap in a large bucket of water, the bird will be deceased within seconds, spray corpse with disinfectant, place in garbage or bury.

The only other alternative is to raise funding from lovers of mynah birds and have them deported back to Asia. My apologies if I have offended anyone.
Anonymous said…
They are a real pest here and I've seen them take on magpies, ravens and even the aggressive Wattle Bird.
Vest said…
I have A grey cockatiel, which was rescued from a cat twenty-one years ago, It lives outdoors daily indoors at night, flies around the loungeroom is handled easily. very friendly, housed in a very large cage on wheels, it is a hen, last laid eggs 18 years ago.
Vest said…
Susan Flett Swiderski. Loved your story about the Mynah Bird, which was probably a different type of Mynah opposed to the pest variety here in Australia and which do not fit the category of being humorous. Thank you for your complimentary message, nice lady.
Vest said…
E C. I am fully aware of the problems the OZ Variety Indian Mynah has, It must be frightfully uncomfortable being host to a magnitude of crawling itching bugs and unpopular with other bird species and other creatures including some humans. Your kindness to all creatures great and small is exemplary and you are to be lauded for your attitude, however, it is sometimes necessary to take extreme measures to expedite the problems we face for the general good.
Vest said…
Andrew. I would once feed magpies in the garden by hand, over the past couple of years that pleasure has disappeared and now we have Mynahs everywhere with their aggressive nature.
COCKY Central Coast said…
So it is not their fault, they were born into it impossible to live with ; like a radicalised terrorist with a total disregard for anything or anyone bar themselves, I agree with Vest Get rid of them for the greater good.
Vest said…
Cocky. You don't have to agree with me I enjoy being difficult and dissident when a suitable occasion arises.

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