Plan to tackle Indian myna birds threatening Whitsunday environment

A feral bird blown into the Whitsundays after a natural disaster is plaguing the region, with a new group dedicated to eradicating the problem. Read how they plan to tackle it.

A new group has formed to eradicate an emerging environmental danger blown into the Whitsundays during a natural disaster.

The effects of Cyclone Ita blew a small Indian myna bird population into the Whitsundays in 2014, and the number of the feral pests considered “toads of the sky” have continued to climb.

Avid birdwatcher Debra Burns had been aware of the hundreds of Indian mynas in Airlie Beach, and in August 2020 decided action was needed.

“Seeing the numbers grow and knowing that they’re feral, they call them the toads of the sky, because they’re bullies,” she said.

“If you watch them they will attack any bird that gets in their way, they will gang up on it, they kill the chicks, take over nests even if they don’t want to use it, because that’s just their instinct.

“If they get into your ceiling, they can build nests that are very dirty, block up drains and they have also got a lot of diseases.

“They carry mites and lice that can cause dermatitis, allergies, asthma and parasites and spread pneumonia, avian malaria and gastroenteritis.”

The Indian myna bird is an emerging pest and threat in the Whitsundays. Credit: Clement Francis.

Ms Burns started the Whitsunday Indian myna Action Group to educate the public and to start a trapping program.

The pandemic initially slowed down its reach and now Ms Burns hopes to ramp it up.

“A lot of people are really keen to help. I am trying to gather all those forces together,” she said.

Bowen Mens Shed treasurer Morrie Wright and the group’s members volunteered up to 40 hours of their time and built three cages as traps.

Whitsunday Indian mynas Action Group founder, Debra Burns formed WIMAG to tackle the menacing pest growth in the Whitsundays. Photo: Contributed

“We did it all voluntarily, to help them all out,” he said.

“They’re actually a trap that’s made to catch them.

“It’s the same type of principle as a crab pot. There’s a cage, it has got an opening, built in two sections.

“They put food in one section that attracts the myna bird, then they go through this little trap door, into one section and then gradually go into the section where the feed is.

“Then they can open that section up and remove the birds once they have actually got them trapped.”

Bowen Men's Shed treasurer, Morrie Wright and members, built three cage traps to help reduce the number of Indian mynas bred. Photo: Contributed

The number of cages able to be used is limited because of the number of people available to check them.

“They’ve got to be more or less looked at or checked. I hope that they are successful,” Mr Wright said.

Ms Burns said Indian myna birds could be humanely destroyed by taking them to the vet or gassing them.

“You have to treat them humanely, we need a humane approach with dealing with pests,” Ms Burns said.

Whitsunday Regional Council has two myna bird traps available for the community and was in the process of buying two more.

It has helped Ms Burns establish the action group.

Whitsunday Catchment Landcare also approved a $500 grant to the group to cover WIMAG’s printing costs.