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What to feed a baby indian myna


Feeding Pet Mynah Birds | VCA Animal Hospital

Knowledge of bird nutrition is constantly evolving, both from heightened awareness of the importance of nutrition and from increased research into birds’ different needs. As with all other animals, birds need a proper balance of carbohydrates, proteins, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water. Different species of birds often require different foods. Mynah birds eat a variety of foods and have relatively short digestive tracts when compared with other parrots. This combination makes for a very quick transit time of food through the gastrointestinal tract, so Mynah birds eat often and produce frequent and often very loose droppings.

Should I be concerned about what my Mynah bird eats?

Too often, bird owners assume they are feeding a proper diet to their pets when, in fact, they are not. Poor nutrition is a common cause of many health problems in birds. Mynah birds have specialized dietary needs. Before you consider having one as pet, you should be familiar with their nutritional requirements so that your Mynah bird can be healthy and thrive.

What do wild Mynah birds eat?

Mynah birds are omnivorous. In the wild, they eat a huge variety of fruits, insects, larva, amphibians, lizards, small snakes, eggs, baby birds, baby rodents, and they scavenge for garbage occasionally. Mynah birds are not seed-eaters in the wild.

What should I feed my Mynah bird?

Mynah birds do not chew/bite their food into pieces like parrots do. For this reason, they should be provided with food in small, easy to swallow, bite sized pieces. Consult your veterinarian with any questions regarding your Mynah bird’s health and nutrition.

Pelleted Diets. Pellets have been developed to meet all your bird's nutritional needs. Pellets are nutritious, easy to feed, and since pellets are dry, bird droppings tend to be less messy when birds eat a pelleted diet.

Mynah birds are very sensitive to the iron levels in their food. They should be offered pellets, typically labeled for soft bills, that are low in iron. Some pellets, while nutritious, may contain too much iron. For Mynah birds, this may contribute to the development of iron storage disease, also called hemochromatosis, a potentially fatal disease which causes birds to develop heart and liver failure. Pellets are safe to feed Mynahs if they contain less than 90-100 mg of iron/kg of diet. Check with your veterinarian for their recommendations regarding appropriate pellet choices for your Mynah bird.

Fruits and Vegetables. A large variety of diced fruits (see table below) should be offered to a Mynah every day. Fruits and vegetables must be washed thoroughly to remove chemicals. They should be cut into manageable pieces appropriate to the size of the bird. It is not necessary to remove the skin. Fruits and vegetables should be offered in a separate dish from pellets and other foods. If your bird appears to develop a particular fancy for one food item, reduce its volume, or stop feeding it temporarily to promote the consumption of other foods.

Some suggested fresh food items include:

* Foods with higher iron content (or that increase iron absorption)  should be fed sparingly, if at all, to a Mynah bird.

Small amounts of diced vegetables may also be offered, but vegetables should not comprise a large portion of a Mynah bird’s diet. Pale vegetables, with a high water composition (i.e., iceberg or head lettuce and celery), offer very little nutritional value and should not be offered. Avocado is potentially toxic to birds and should never be fed to them. The acid in citrus fruits increases iron absorption, so Mynahs should not be fed citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit. If they are fed citrus fruits, it should be done so sparingly. Raisins are also high in iron and should be fed rarely or not all. Remove the seeds in fruits before they are fed to birds, as they may be toxic.

Avoid giving green vegetables that are high in iron, such as peas, green beans, sweet potatoes, and broccoli. All fruits and vegetables must be washed thoroughly to remove chemicals before they are given. If organic produce is available, it is preferable. Consult your veterinarian if you encounter any problems with the diet or health of your bird.

"Avoid giving green vegetables that are high in iron, such as peas, green beans, sweet potatoes, and broccoli."

Water. Fresh clean water must be available at all times. If the quality of your tap water is poor, consider using bottled water. Clean your bird’s food and water dishes every day with hot, soapy water, and rinse them thoroughly before using them.

What about other foods?

As a rule, nearly any wholesome, nutritious food that you and your family eat can be offered to your bird in very small quantities. Junk food, including chocolate, caffeinated products, alcoholic beverages, and foods high in salt or fat should not be offered.

"Mynah birds may occasionally enjoy pinky mice or insects such as mealworms,
wax worms, crickets, and other insects. "

Occasionally, some birds even enjoy a small amount of lean cooked meat, fish, egg white, or yogurt. Dairy products should be consumed only in small amounts, as birds are lactose intolerant. Once in a while, Mynah birds may also enjoy pinky mice or insects such as mealworms, wax worms, crickets and other insects.

Does my Mynah bird need extra vitamins, minerals, or amino acids?

In general, Mynahs eating a base diet of pellets, along with a variety of other foods, do not need supplements. Specific vitamin or mineral supplements may be more important at various times during a bird's life (e.g., calcium supplementation is required when laying eggs). Your veterinarian can help you assess your bird's diet and its particular needs.

Does my bird need gravel or grit?

Controversy exists over birds’ need for gravel. Previously, it was believed that grit was necessary for the mechanical breakdown of food in the gizzard to aid in digestion. This is true for birds that ingest seeds whole, shell and all. However, Mynah birds eat mostly soft foods and do not require grit or gravel for proper digestion.

What pointers should I remember about feeding my Mynah bird?

  • Always monitor the amount of food eaten every day by each bird, especially if multiple birds are housed together.
  • Be careful not to overfeed vegetables and fruits with high iron content.
  • Offer fresh water every day.
  • Offer fresh fruits and vegetables every day.
  • Clean all food and water dishes daily.

Protocols for the hand-raising and rehabilitation of mynas (contd.)

Corina Gardner

 

Link to Page 1: Protocols for the hand-raising and rehabilitation of mynas

Stage wise care and feeding instructions for the chicks

0–2 week old chicks

New born mynas are born totally pink, featherless, blind and completely helpless. Pin feathers begin to erupt in the second week of the baby’s life and the babies’ eyes usually open around the 8th – 10th day. Fresh hatchlings require extensive care and need to be fed almost round-the-clock. It would be unnecessary to feed the baby at night as in nature, parent birds as well as the babies sleep at night.

Ideally, feeding should start at 6 a.m. and continue until midnight. The chicks should be given 10 feeds a day at intervals of 2 hours. A day old chick would require approximately 1 ml of formula per feed, which can be gradually increased to 2 ml by the 4th day and 3 ml by 7th day. The feedings can also be reduced to 8 feeds by the end of the 10th day. Two feeds – one around mid-morning and one around mid-afternoon, may be replaced by mashed/pureed soft fruits like banana, mango or papaya instead of the formula.

2 – 4 week old chicks

Even though the nestlings are covered with feathers, there is still a while before the flight feathers develop. The baby can now be given about 7 feeds a day. Gradually reduce the feeds to six times a day. Feeding however must still begin by 6 a. m. and the last feed could be given by 10 p.m.

The baby can now be fed on a combination of sattu and fruits as well as mashed hard-boiled egg. Mashed/pureed banana, papaya, mango, sapodilla (chiku), mixed with crumbled up biscuits (marie or cream cracker would be ideal) are good options to add to their diet. If possible, insects such as grasshoppers, caterpillars and crickets could also be fed to the babies.

You can either offer them a mix of sattu and fruit, or the feeds may be alternated with sattu in one feed and fruit in the other. Avoid repeating any one fruit over and over again; instead, it would be better to offer them different fruits at intervals. This would be easier for them to digest and also ensure an intake of varied nutrients from different fruits.

4th – 5th week

The fledgling now starts to develop flight feathers by this age and will soon fledge in a couple of weeks. The young mynas can now be given 4-5 feeds a day, about 5 hours apart. They also start foraging (searching for food) themselves by this age. The weaning process must begin by the time the chicks are 5 weeks old. Make sure that there is always food available for them so that they can start eating on their own and gradually become independent although you should still carry on hand-feeding the feedings.


6th – 7th week

The young bird is quite independent and starts to search for food. Put small morsels of food in his cage and he will start to eat on his own. Now is also the time to transfer the bird to an outdoor enclosure. Although they feed well by themselves at this age, they must be watched vigilantly to ensure they are eating well. If necessary, hand feeding can be continued once or twice a day. A bowl of fresh water must be available at all times for the young birds as they will now begin to drink water. The young birds may now be offered fruit chopped into small pieces, sattu pellets, pieces of hard-boiled egg as well as boiled rice and dal (lentils).


8th – 9th week

By 8 weeks of age, the young bird should be completely weaned.
Offer the fledgling a varied diet by this age. Allow them to explore and make choices for themselves. Their diet can now include a variety of fruits, berries and insects, such as grasshoppers and crickets.

Adult bird diet

Mynas are soft bill birds and primarily only eat soft foods. They do not eat seeds. In captivity, their diet consists of sattu pellets, cooked rice and dal, hard-boiled egg, insects and fruit. Green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, mustard sprouts, millet sprouts and fenugreek (methi) leaves are also very essential.

Mynas drink plenty of water and their water bowl should always be clean and filled with fresh water. The water should be changed frequently. Mynas also enjoy frequent bathing, so it is necessary to keep a shallow bowl filled with fresh water for the birds to bathe in.

Foods to be avoided

Foods that are highly toxic for birds include apple pips, avocado (makhanphal), cherries and peaches (aadu) and must never be given to the birds. Never give the birds chocolate, as it may make the bird seriously ill.

Housing the young birds

A shoe-box or a small cardboard box with adequate holes for ventilation, a wicker basket or even a small aquarium may be used to house the young birds. The box can be lined with a soft towel at the base and a few layers of paper towels and strips of paper on top of the towel, as paper towels are easier to change when dirty.

The box must be placed in a warm, dry place, preferably near an artificial source of warmth. A heating lamp, with a light bulb of maximum 40 watts, can be placed above the box to provide warmth to the chicks. The lamp must be placed at least 12” away from the box. The ideal temperature for the baby birds would be about 35.5° Celsius (or 96° Fahrenheit). Again, it is crucial to be vigilant and ensure that the baby is not being overheated. A clear indication of overheating would be when the baby’s beak is open (as if panting) and wings are held away from its body. Unlike mammals, birds lack sweat glands and hence cannot sweat. To release excesses body heat and afford a cooling effect, they open their beak wide and pant, causing moisture to evaporate from the oral cavity and in turn cooling the body. On the other hand, if the bird is huddled and shivering, it is not receiving enough warmth.

The box must be partly covered with a light towel at night to keep out the light from the heating lamp and thus enabling the baby to sleep. It must be noted that the purpose of the lamp is to provide warmth alone and not light and it must never interfere with the natural light patterns and disrupt the baby bird’s sleep cycle. Even when in captivity, the parent bird sits on the baby, shielding it from most of the light. The heating lamp may be discontinued after the baby crosses 2-3 weeks of age and is covered with its first layer of feathers.

Ants are a real danger to baby birds and can fatally hurt them. It must be ensured that there are no ants in the vicinity of the bird.

Sexing mynas

Mynas are sexually monomorphic species and sexing mynas on appearance or behavior alone is extremely difficult. Mynas very seldom reproduce in captivity which further adds to the confusion. However, they are a few indications to ascertain the difference between male and female mynas. Within the same species, male mynas are larger than the females. The wattles of male mynas appear larger. Hill myna males have distinctly flatter heads than females, whereas the female mynas have a more rounded head. Another indication that the myna is male is the fact the pelvic bone in the male myna is set closer than in the females.

Preening

Mynas frequently preen their feathers. Birds use their beaks to preen their feathers and keep them in good condition. Preening is an essential way for birds to keep their feathers neat and trim.

Rehabilitating the young mynas

By the age of 3 months, the young mynas should be shifted to an aviary, preferably one with some fruiting trees. They must be provided with a nest box to retire in at night and during harsh weather. Human contact must be withdrawn from the birds and they must be encouraged to be independent.

Avoid placing a feeding table in the enclosure. Instead, place the food in different sections of the enclosure every day. The placement of foods must be rotated so as to encourage ‘searching’ behavior in the young birds. Food must also be placed at different height levels so as to get the birds used to foraging at various levels of height. The birds must be offered a variety of foods to prevent dependency on any one food type. A significant proportion of their diet must now comprise of wild-gathered foods as it will assist their transition to the wild and help them recognize readily available foods. The birds must have access to fresh drinking water at all times and they must frequently be given provisions to have a bath.


Soft release

By the age of four to five months, the young mynas will be ready to explore the outside world. Common mynas and Jungle mynas are highly adaptable species which makes it easier to release them in any convenient surroundings where they will be able to find sufficient forage. Hill mynas on the other hand are habitat specialists and need forested landscapes for survival. The young birds must now be shifted to an aviary. The aviary for Common and Jungle mynas may be in any suitable location whereas the aviary for Jungle mynas must be in a forested landscape.

By four to five months of age, the mynas may be allowed to exit the enclosure via a window (an opening) in the aviary. The window may either be on the side or the top of the aviary. The window must be opened early in the morning and closed by sunset. The birds will initially fly around and come back to the enclosure for a few weeks. As they grow older and have explored their surroundings thoroughly, they will begin to stay away for longer durations of time, until they have established a territory of their own and no longer feel the need to return to the enclosure. They should be completely independent by 6 months of age.

Hard release

Although a soft release is ideal for hand-raised birds, there may be instances where you may have to opt for a hard release for the young mynas. The minimum age at which the bird may be released is 6 months of age. Habitat selectivity may carry more importance when opting for a hard release. Hill mynas must only be released in forested landscapes while Common and Jungle mynas may be released in any suitable habitats.

Sickness in mynas

Egg binding

Egg binding is a medical condition when a female bird is unable to expel an egg. Egg binding can pose a serious threat to female birds. Younger females are at a greater risk of dying from egg binding. In the event that a female myna is suddenly puffed-up and listless, it is quite likely due to egg-binding.

The female must immediately be placed in a small cage or shoe-box and provided with quiet and additional warmth. A heating lamp would be ideal. Castor oil or even cooking oil can be gently applied in to the birds vent or cloaca, with a Q-tip (a cotton bud) to lubricate the area and facilitate the passing of the difficult egg. One drop of castor oil given orally will also help the passage of the egg. If these basic requirements are provided it is unlikely that the bird will suffer any serious health issues.

Abnormal droppings

Green droppings usually indicate an infection. Birds fed on soft food and greens may normally produce green and watery droppings, but if the droppings are runny and bubbly as well as carry an odor and persist over a period of time (especially if the bird is fluffed up, lethargic and has a loss of appetite), it indicates a chill or an infection. A pinch of Ridol, Kaltin, terramycin or any other antibiotic tablet can be dissolved in a half container of water. The infection should likely subside in a day or two and the medication may be discontinued a day after the bird has returned to normal health. Avoid exposing the birds to a cold breeze or draught, especially at night, as this causes chills and other health problems. Avoid offering fruits at this time; cooked rice and boiled egg are a good option instead.

Fungal infection

Aspergillosis is the most frequently occurring fungal infection in birds. It is primarily a disease of the lower respiratory tract. There is a high prevalence of infection in mynas.The spores of the fungus are often present in the environment and healthy, unstressed birds are generally resistant to even high levels of spores. Birds with a weakened immune system, or high stress levels (due to environmental changes), are most susceptible to the disease. It may be contracted as the result of inhalation of fungal spores, fecal material or soil, or oral ingestion, especially if the birds are fed moldy food or housed in a contaminated environment.

It is therefore extremely important that feed is properly stored and is free of fungal growth. Proper ventilation in the enclosures is also essential. Most importantly, the birds must be fed a healthy diet.

Symptoms of a fungal infection include constant sneezing, coughing or labored breathing, loss of appetite and diarrhea. It can be life threatening if left undiagnosed or untreated.

Treatment: The infected bird must be immediately isolated from other birds and provided with a quiet environment and additional warmth – a heating lamp would be ideal for this purpose. Antifungal tablets like Amphotericin B, Flucytosine, Fluconazole or Itraconazole must be added to the bird’s drinking water. You could also consider using Teeburb tablets which is an herbal veterinary preparation. Immunostimulants may also be added to the bird’s diet to facilitate recovery. However, if you find that the bird is not drinking the water, then the medication will have to be force fed.

References and further reading

Bockheim, G. and Congdon, S. (2001) The Sturnidae husbandry manual and resource guide
Available from:
http://www. australasianzookeeping.org/Husbandry%20Manuals/
sturnids.pdf [Accessed: 26/08/2012]

Gardner, C. et al (2012) Protocols for the rehabilitation of baby Ring-necked parakeets (Psittacula krameri), Rehabber’s Den
Available from:
http://rehabbersden.org/Rehabilitation%20of%20baby%20Ringneck
%20parakeets.pdf [Accessed: 25/06/2012]

Houston, J.P. (2009) Hand-rearing softbills, The Foreign Softbill Society UK
Available from:
http://fssuk.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=28:hand-rearing-of-softbills&catid=14:husbandry-articles&Itemid=29 [Accessed: 26/08/2012]

Indiviglio, F. (2008) The Natural History and Captive Care of the Hill Myna (Myna Bird, Indian Hill Myna), Gracula religiosa – Part 1, That Bird Blog
Available from:
http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatbirdblog/2008/05/08/the-natural-history-and-captive-care-of-the-hill-myna-myna-bird-indian-hill-myna-gracula-religiosa-part-1/[Accessed: 26/08/2012]

Indiviglio, F. (2008) The Natural History and Captive Care of the Hill Myna (Myna Bird, Indian Hill Myna), Gracula religiosa – Part 2, That Bird Blog
Available from:
http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatbirdblog/2008/05/10/the-natural-history-and-captive-care-of-the-hill-myna-myna-bird-indian-hill-myna-gracula-religiosa-part-2/[Accessed: 26/08/2012]

Stewart, K. (2002) Hand-rearing guide for the beginner, Lori~Link
Available from: http://www.kcbbs.gen.nz/lori/ar/handrear2.html[Accessed: 26/08/2012]

Walker, C (undated) Megabacteria infection in birds
Available from:
http://www.anbc.iinet.net.au/downloads/megabacteria_update.pdf[Accessed: 28/08/2012]

Wikipedia (2012) – Myna
Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myna[Accessed: 19/07/2012]

Photographs used

Alex Cordero – 3 week old myna chicks
Available from:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/httpthesoftbillgallery/7562579818/in/
photostream/ [Accessed: 19/07/2012]

Alex Cordero – Fledgling mynas
Available from:
http://www. flickr.com/photos/httpthesoftbillgallery/6773177857/[Accessed: 19/07/2012]

Alex Cordero – Gapers
Available from:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/httpthesoftbillgallery/6939845264/[Accessed: 19/07/2012]

Caroline Dreams – Two week old myna
Available from:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/liltree/24217766/sizes/z/in/photostream/[Accessed: 17/08/2012]

David Lim – Hill mynas

Devna Arora – Brahminy starling

Devna Arora – Jungle myna

Devna Arora – Housing baby mynas

Devna Arora – Pre-release aviary

Dr. Lip Kee Yan – Bank mynas
Available from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lipkee/3196315385/
[Accessed: 23/08/2012]

Nupur Buragohan – 10 day old baby mynas

Nupur Buragohan – Placing a basket as an artificial nest for baby mynas

Om Prakash Yadav – Adult male hill myna
Available from:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/opyadav/6105609819/[Accessed: 19/07/2012]

Tris – Common myna
Available from:
http://www. flickr.com/photos/trissysviewpoint/6385394335/[Accessed: 19/07/2012]

Rosa Say – Myna chick fallen from the nest
Available from:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosasay/2629762970/[Accessed: 24/07/2012]

Simon Morris – A month-old myna

Stephen Witherden – mynas nest
Available from:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/swit012/4734358109/sizes/l/in/
photostream/ [Accessed: 19/07/2012]

Acknowledgements

I’d like to add a special thank you to Dr. Nupur Ranjan Buragohan for his invaluable guidance and suggestions on the drugs for the treatments of the birds.

Edited by Devna Arora
Published in 2012

Beware of mynas!: dona_anna — LiveJournal


There is such a bird in our area, an ordinary myna (המיינה המצויה – Common Myna – Acridotheres tristis), a bird of the starling family.
Outwardly, these are cute birds with a beautiful voice, but for 10 years there have been cases of their aggression towards people. When mynas hatch near humans, they perceive humans as a threat when they pass near their nests. They attack without warning, like crows, and peck people on the head and any other part of the body. Hitchcock is resting.

The main problem of lanes is that where they exist, there will simply be no other birds... Not even crows and sparrows! And we, that is, Israel, who are so proud of the incredible species diversity of birds on our territory, can sadly state the disappearance of our familiar birds from many places.
I wrote all these many letters because I have been observing the situation with birds around my house and in my area for 23 years. Near the house and just from the window, we filmed many species of birds: jays, bulbuls, sunbirds, blackbirds, tits, Syrian woodpeckers, crows, sparrows. After a big fire in Haifa, the ecology of our area changed, and at some point the lanes appeared and all other birds disappeared, except for crows, jays and parrots, which are also an invasive species . .. Now the lanes have almost disappeared - apparently the crows managed to drive them away, but other birds that lived around did not return. Only jays remained, the number of which also decreased. And these are jays that will punch anyone in the face, they are very aggressive and territorial ... Sometimes the voices of tits are heard. And if in the morning we always woke up from the ringing of bird voices around, now it’s just dead silence.

Maina, not too nice to meet you.

Myna is a small bird, 25 cm long, with dark brown to black body and wing plumage, with large white areas of wing feathers clearly visible in flight. The head and throat are dark grey. The bare skin around the eyes and legs is bright yellow. For the yellow skin around the eyes, the lane is also called the yellow-eared starling.


Mynas are omnivores: fruits, flower buds, nectar, seeds, insects, worms, snails, snakes, eggs of other birds, spiders, small mammals, human table waste. Most of the myna's food is found on the ground.
Maines live in nature for 4-12 years. Public noisy birds. Out of the breeding season, they gather in groups of up to 12 individuals near food sources. They spend the night in large groups in places of permanent overnight stays. Very territorial during the breeding season.

Today myna is very common, stands out with its voice and movement without fear on the lawns of gardens, city parks and open areas. At first glance, it resembles a thrush, although it belongs to the starling family.

Myna has a beautiful voice and she sings beautifully. She can also imitate other birds and any other sounds, like other starlings.

Nesting: in their homeland, mynas nest all year round, in Israel mainly from February to August. They are monogamous and pair up for life. Birds behave the same on an equal footing, regardless of gender, so it is difficult to determine who is male and who is female. The nest is built in a hollow or in a hole, natural or artificial, at a height of 10-15m, it can be on traffic lights, downpipes, as well as in bird houses that are not intended for them.
During the breeding season, pairs of mynas can be seen near nesting sites when they drive cats and crows away from their nests.
In Israel, mynas nest in buildings where they find suitable openings, in electrical switchboards, on power poles and even in aircraft wings. At Dove airport, a nest of mines was found in an Arkia company plane that had stayed at the airport at the end of the week. Destruction of nests in these types of places requires large resources, and with an increase in the number of mines, it will require a large investment in damages.
I have seen photographs of myne nests in lanterns not at high altitude.
The nest is built from natural materials and from the fruits of human activity: branches, roots, hay, feathers, fur, paper, etc. All this is carelessly laid out by birds inside the nest. They often drive Syrian woodpeckers out of their hollows and nest there. There are 3-6 blue or greenish-blue eggs in the nest. They incubate for 13-18 days, both parents incubate.

Our lanes mostly live near urban areas.

At home, in India, the myna is called the "friend of the peasant", because there it just destroys harmful insects. In India, this bird is very beloved and symbolizes eternal love, due to the fact that mynas usually choose a couple for life. At home, in the natural environment, something clearly limits the population, in contrast to the places where the lanes got thanks to man.

We have an introduced, invasive species that has spread throughout Israel.
Invasive species, or invasive species (from Latin invasio - "invasion, attack, raid; violence; violent capture") - a biological species that has spread as a result of human activities, the spread of which threatens biological diversity.

"Our spread around the planet" to Israel... Park Yarkon. At first, lanes began to breed in the Yarkon Park, then spread throughout Gush Dan and the surrounding area. In 2005 they reached Beersheba, Acre and Jerusalem.

In 2015 the myna was already the fifth most common bird in Israel, outnumbering sparrows, bulbuls and sunbirds. In 2018, she was already the third.

Now it is the most common bird in Gush Dan. It is believed that 200,000 of these birds live there.

Since not only we have problems with lanes, the international organization IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has declared the lane one of the 100 most harmful invasive species.

Maina is a confident bird that is not afraid of people and cars.
Mains can also attack crows. If there are many lanes, they drive the crows away.
Mynas build nests constantly from year to year in the same place.
Mains aggressively attack people during the period when they have chicks. It is enough to walk close to their nest and the bird may peck at your head. Trying to destroy the nest can also lead to birds attacking you. If myna at least once successfully breeds chicks near your house, then the next time she will return to nest.
In addition to attacks, lanes cause great damage to agriculture, in particular vineyards. And any fruit trees in the gardens can attract them. Ultimately, you and I will pay for this by paying more for the corresponding goods.
Mynas are very noisy birds, they can interfere with the noise that starts early in the morning and at sunset in the evening. Their nests are full of lice and dirt.

We are not locals ourselves! Auntie, let me have a drink, otherwise you want to eat so much, there is nowhere to spend the night

In Israel, the Indian myna/common myna has become a detested bird. The question is why? Why does she have such a bad reputation? And how justified is this?
The common myna, which originates from South Asia, has now invaded and spread to many places in the world. It can mainly be found in Australia, South Africa and the Middle East. An invasive species that, with the help of man, crossed borders that it could not cross itself, created independent settlements and expanded its range of distribution to unprecedented proportions. Since the invasive species is new to the local ecological system, it can seriously affect that system. It is important to remember that the process of capturing territory is complex and has certain stages in order for the capture to be successful. That is why only certain species successfully capture new territories. The capture of territory requires certain qualities from the species at the level of the whole species, as well as at the level of an individual. Successful invaders must be flexible enough in behavior, have a wide range of food, a high breeding rate (but not too high), etc. These properties will influence the local ecological system. In addition, most successful invasions have occurred in ecological systems where the climate is favorable and competition between native species is relatively moderate. In places like the Middle East for example. This does not happen where climatic conditions are extreme, such as in the Arctic, or where there is serious competition between species, as in tropical regions. In this way, the invasive species affects the local ecological system. How to see this influence? The mechanism of influence of invasive species on the local ecological system is predation, competition, interbreeding and disease transmission (in some cases, mainly on islands).
Many invasive species thrive alongside humans. This can damage native species and increase the number of invasive species and decrease the number of native species.



Myna is a very successful invasive species. Like many other invasive species, it eats everything, thrives around humans, reproduces quickly, and is aggressive towards other species. In addition, it nests in hollows, which are limited in nature, so there is a risk that it will compete with native species for these hollows.
It is now clear that she breeds in other places as well.
There is ample evidence of mynas killing native bird chicks. There is a wealth of evidence of mayne aggression towards other birds and mammals.
Mynas are very attached to human activity and their number is decreasing in areas where it is decreasing. Maines are attached to the urban environment and do not like forest or dense plantings.
Many articles have already been written on the results of research work on invasive species. Many articles talk about common myna. Only an ordinary starling can compete with it.

In Israel, a lot of different studies of lanes have recently been carried out. The most memorable for me, of those that I read about, is a comparison of the lanes brought for research from India and the lanes living here. It turned out that the Israeli lanes are much smarter than the Indian ones.

One of the questions that occupies researchers studying invasive species is why some species can quickly and successfully establish themselves in a new place, while others cannot. First of all - lanes are very suspicious and learn very quickly by looking at what is happening. The rate of finding food and the ability to breed of native birds is impaired in the presence of mynas.
Mains kill sparrow chicks and adult sparrows are afraid of mains. Sparrows nest in small enclosed spaces rather than open nests. And myna, climbing into such a nest, can kill an adult sparrow, which will have nowhere to escape.

We are not alone with this problem - Australian negative experience c for biological control of agricultural pests - harmful insects. It turned out that these insects were not at all interesting to the lanes, but they liked living in Australia. Mynas began to multiply uncontrollably and became the most common bird in garden plots near houses.

In 2006 in the city of Canberra (Australia), local residents organized a group to fight the lanes in order to reduce the number of these birds and their impact on local birds. As ways to do this, they decided to use the education of the public and the trapping of lanes.

One study showed that in the Canberra area (Australia) an increase in the number of lanes caused a decrease in the number of birds of twelve species (two of them invasive). No wonder the locals decided to fight the lanes...

From research in Australia and other countries, it has become clear that no way has yet been found to combat the lanes. Attempts to capture and shoot have not been effective so far. As well as attempts to use poison. Bird numbers are rapidly recovering.

The conclusion from all this is simple: it is very difficult to get rid of an invasive species if it has already managed to take root in a new place.

Hitchcock resting

In many stories in the media about what is happening in the center of the country, lanes are called "Hitchcock birds". Here is a selection of several cases involving mines that have been reported in the media.

The area of ​​Netanya Kiryat Asharon suffered greatly from the mains, the peak of their problem was in 2016.
The story of the inhabitants of this area about problems with birds, including photos of traces, how birds pecked at people's heads can be viewed here

Video of the attack of the main in Kiryat Asharon .

07. 2016
What did the mayor's office of Netanya do, except to apply to the appropriate authorities, such as the Department of Nature and Parks (רשות הטבע והגנים)? They brought in a contractor, approved by the Nature and Parks Authority, to target the bird nests to comply with the current law. Additional lighting was installed near the nests, trees were trimmed in the same place. But all these actions had minimal success. In its response to residents, the mayor's office emphasizes in every way that the responsibility in this case is the state, and not her. The problem of lanes is a nationwide one and it must be solved at the state level.

I didn't find anything online about what is going on in this area of ​​Netanya now. Maybe the inhabitants of those places will tell something?

07.2018
Mains attacked passers-by in Petah Tikva and Rishon Lezion. The reason for the attacks is nesting. During this period of the year, myna chicks are in an advanced stage of their development. The chicks leave the nest and circle around. Sometimes people get too close, this leads to the fact that the parents begin to protect the chicks. What to do so that the birds do not attack? Expert advice: It makes sense to pay attention to whether there are fledglings nearby on the sidewalk or close to it, and not to approach them. It's even worth going to the other side of the street.
Birds peck not only on the head, but wherever they can - there are photographs of arms and legs that the birds pecked at.

07.2018
In Petah Tikva, a girl was attacked by a lane, pecking at her head. It turned out that in this particular case, the nest is located on the balcony of a private apartment and the owner of the apartment did not let the city hall workers catch such aggressive birds! Thank you, bird-friendly people.
Therefore, the mayor's office suggests that the victim be patient and wait until the chicks grow up and the aggression stops.

10.06.19
Maina flew into the house in Herzliya and the dog kicked her out. After that, the myna ambushed family members and attacked them. Thus, she turned their lives into a nightmare. The bird was waiting near the house when someone from the family would go out for a walk with the dog and dived on them, i.e. for both dogs and people. And hats didn't help. Although experts say that the bird will not come into direct physical contact with them, this is still very scary for people. They contacted the veterinary service of the mayor's office, they replied that they did not deal with birds, and told them to contact the Nature and Parks Department. They turned to the Office, but they were sent back to the mayor's office...

What if?

Complicating matters is the Wildlife Conservation Act (1955), which makes the myna a protected bird. It is thanks to this that only the Department of Nature and Parks can deal with the problems of the lanes and in the cities too.
And here, first of all, I would like the Department of Nature and Parks, as well as the deputies of the people, to bring the law in line with our time and would be allowed to regulate the number of invasive species.

The Department of Agriculture is also seeking to reduce the myne population. To do this, they are engaged in the invention of traps and the development of specific pesticides (together with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Office of Nature and Parks). It is possible that this kind of activity to limit the population of the maine will attract criticism from individual conservationists, but then they must accept the fact that with the increase in the number of these birds, many species of native birds will disappear.

Similar steps have been taken in the past to reduce the population of the Indian crow in the Arava and Eilat. I wrote about the raven here. Today, the situation with crows is as bad as before, despite the fact that the mayor's office systematically reduces the number of nests in the city. The only thing that influenced the decrease in the number of crows in the city was controlled shooting. In 2014 shooting was banned for bureaucratic reasons and the number of crows increased again. Here, the solution of the issue also rests on the people's choices.

What can one do when faced with lanes nose to nose?

First of all, it is necessary to reduce the number of places suitable for nesting lanes: it is necessary to close all holes that lead to enclosed spaces suitable for nesting. Check for holes in drawers with blinds. It is necessary to attach spikes, and if possible, close the balconies with a net.

It is difficult but possible to drive lanes away with landing obstacles and access obstacles. It is very important to pay attention to whether lanes are nesting in the vicinity of your home. Then you need to act immediately. Otherwise, later there will be even more birds and it will be even more difficult to drive them away.
If you see birds building a nest on your balcony, by the way, the same applies to pigeon nests, dismantle and discard the nest without waiting for the birds to lay their eggs. If they have already laid eggs, then the same thing - everything needs to be destroyed.

There are various tips on how to keep the lane away from the house or balcony. Some of them are not effective. Experts argue that it makes no sense to install special traps on the recommendation of the Nature and Parks Administration, cover trees with nets, trim trees and add lighting. The use of a green laser (not red or blue) is considered effective. You can buy several lamps for clubs online. You need to disturb the birds at the time when they are going to spend the night, after dinner. Do this for several days in a row, then they will change place. It is necessary to ensure that new birds do not appear.

It makes sense to wear a hat so that the lanes do not peck at the head. Do not laugh at this, the hat also protects from the sun.

It is difficult to drive away lanes by yourself - you should try to contact specialists. There are many offers on the network from those who deal with the extermination of rats and cockroaches, they also offer their services to fight the lanes.

It is very important to understand that it is man who provides the lanes with unlimited food and drink. Let's start with street trash cans. In addition, those who feed the cats leave a huge amount of food unattended on the streets. This food is very suitable for mynas, jackals, wild boars ... Just this can be avoided if the recommendations of the Ministry of Ecology are followed when feeding cats. That is, just feed the cats in your presence, and after they have eaten, take away the remnants of the food, do not leave it on the street for free use. In addition, make sure that food leftovers do not lie next to street garbage cans and street bins.

Those whom we may no longer see where there are lanes.

Here is a list of birds that will disappear from our cities and suburbs, and maybe from the parks where the mynas settle.
These are hoopoe, Syrian woodpecker, blackbird, bulbul, tit, house sparrow, scops, goldfinch, sunbird, dove.
Here is a photo of some of the birds on the list to remind us who we are losing.


Sunflower (Nectarinia osea צופית) - I shot from the salon window.

The next four birds I took from a walk around the house, filmed in 2011.


Syrian woodpecker (Dendrocopos syriacus - נקר סורי). Filmed close to home.


Bulbul (Pycnonotus xanthopygos בולבול), fluffy from the cold.


Blackbird (Turdus merula שחרור) (male)


Jay (Garrulus glandarius atricapillus עורבני שחור כיפה). Jays, I hope, will survive, but there are significantly fewer of them.


Tit (ירגזי מצוי Parus major). I photographed her from the utility balcony.


Hoopoe (Upupa epops דוכיפת), in Haifa in the city, I have not met hoopoes, but in the center of the country, in city gardens and parks, they lived.


Goldfinch (חוחית Carduelis carduelis).

Compassion for invasive species is another way of looking at the problem.

I can't help but tell. There are those biologists who believe that if a person is to blame for the appearance of invasive species, then he must endure it. That is, we must look for alternative ways to solve the problems of individual species, and not try to shoot, poison and destroy. Which, in principle, is certainly not bad. In the end, we are humanists and the corresponding attitude towards living beings can only be welcomed. So what do representatives of this approach actually offer? I must say right away that they do not offer anything for mines. Bye? Don't know. And here are the options considered by different professors of different Israeli universities in the form of research:

1. How to limit the breeding of jackals and wolves, which also become problems in our cities? Most often, shooting is offered as an option to limit the population. What does the respected scientist-professor suggest? Limit the amount of food for these animals. And they feed on garbage dumps, on trash cans and the amount of food they have is practically unlimited. Dumps, by the way, also contribute to an increase in the number of lanes... This, of course, is logical, but how to limit the number of large dumps in real life?

2. Another professor solves the problem of limiting the population of nutria, which were shot from time to time in Hula Park. What are the suggestions here? Castration of male nutrias. By the way, the number of nutria in this park has become significantly smaller, visible to the naked eye. But the question immediately arises of how to castrate males - to catch them from an existing population or to raise them somewhere specially and castrate them according to the model of the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratits capitata, the males of which are grown in Kibbutz Sde Ilyahu, who are castrated immediately after hatching from the larvae.

I hope that I have provided food for thought to everyone who managed to read this...

From 01/01/2020 to 12/31/2020, the Nature and Parks Authority has allowed hunting and catching mynes.
Maybe that's why there are fewer of them in our area?

Info:
https://www.birds.org.il/he/article-page.aspx?articleId=992
https://www.yardbirds. org.il/show_bird/43
https://he .wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%94_%D7%9E%D7%A6%D7%95%D7%99%D7%94
https: //timeout.co.il/%d7%a6%d7%99%d7%a4%d7%95%d7%a8%d7%99-%d7%9e%d7%99%d7%99%d7%a0%d7%94/
https://www.ynet.co. il/articles/0.7340,L-5065145.00.html
https://www.madplus.co.il/%D7%94%D7%A8%D7%97%D7%A7%D7%AA-% D7%9E%D7%99%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%94
https://www.harhakat-yonim.co.il/distancing-myna/
http://kiryathasharon.co.il/% D7%95%D7%A2%D7%93-%D7%AA%D7%95%D7%A9%D7%91%D7%99-%D7%A7%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%AA- %D7%94%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%9F/%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%A9%D7%AA-%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%99 %D7%99%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%91%D7%9E%D7%96%D7%A8%D7%97-%D7%A0%D7%AA%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%94/
http://mynetherzliya.co.il/%D7%97%D7%93%D7%A9%D7%95 %D7%AA/%D7%94%D7%99%D7%A6-%D7%A7%D7%95%D7%A7-%D7%91%D7%94%D7%A8%D7%A6%D7% 9C%D7%99%D7%94-%D7%9E%D7%A9%D7%A4%D7%97%D7%94-%D7%9E%D7%94%D7%A8%D7%A6%D7% 9C%D7%99%D7%94-%D7%A0%D7%A8%D7%93%D7%A4%D7%AA-%D7%A2%D7%9C-%D7%99%D7%93%D7 %99-%D7%A6%D7%99%D7%A4%D7%95%D7%A8-%D7%AA%D7%95%D7%A7%D7%A4%D7%A0%D7%99%D7 %AA-386548/8
https://netanyanet. co.il/%D7%97%D7%93%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%A0%D7%AA%D7%A0 %D7%99%D7%94/%D7%97%D7%93%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%9E%D7%A7%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%95%D7%AA/2713-%D7%A6% D7%99%D7%A4%D7%95%D7%A8-%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%94
https://petachtikva.co.il/%D7% 91%D7%94%D7%9C%D7%94-%D7%91%D7%A4%D7%AA-%D7%A6%D7%99%D7%A4%D7%95%D7%A8%D7% 99-%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%94-%D7%AA%D7%95%D7%A7%D7%A4%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7 %AA%D7%95%D7%A9%D7%91%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%91/
https://www.ksn.co.il/%D7%A6%D7%99% D7%A4%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%99-%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%94-%D7%9E%D7%A9% D7%A8%D7%93-%D7%94%D7%97%D7%A7%D7%9C%D7%90%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%91%D7%95%D7%93%D7%A7-%D7%A4%D7%99%D7%AA%D7%95%D7% 97/
https://13news.co.il/item/programs/the-magazine/articles/birds_in_tel_aviv-261731/
https://weisshadbara.co.il/blog/%D7%94%D7%93%D7 %91%D7%A8%D7%94-%D7%91%D7%A0%D7%AA%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%94/mayna
http://mynetpetahtikva.co.il/%d7 %97%d7%93%d7%a9%d7%95%d7%aa/304520/5
https://www.zavit.org.il/%d7%90%d7%95%d7%aa%d7% 95-%d7%98%d7%91%d7%a2-%d7%95%d7%92%d7%99%d7%a9%d7%94-%d7%9b%d7%9c-%d7%9b% d7%9a-%d7%a9%d7%95%d7%a0%d7%9four/

This entry was originally posted at https://dona-anna. dreamwidth.org/2351971.html.

Myna the talking bird | How to care for her and what to feed her | Zoo Life

Of course, having a dog or a cat in your house can bring you so much joy. They may communicate with you by barking or meowing when you take them for a walk or fill up their food bowl. But one of the attractions of the myna bird is that they can learn to talk to you. What cats and dogs can't do.

The myna bird is an exotic pet that belongs to the starling family. Their name can be spelled in several different ways, including "myna bird".

Myna bird


These birds are also called Common Mynas or Indian Mynas because they are native to India, Africa and South East Asia. There is an Australian bird called the miner bird, but it is not the same as the Indian myna bird, which people keep as pets.

General care of the myna bird


The myna bird is about 30 centimeters long. They are extremely intelligent and easy to train birds that enjoy human interaction. For this bird, a large cage is recommended, equipped with several perches set at different heights. After all, these birds love to jump from perch to perch. You can also make a separate place to sleep in the form of a nest. Pets like these items very much. Because it creates additional comfort for them.

Some also like bird ropes, but myna is not one of them. This type of animal is indifferent to them. But instead, they are very fond of free space. Put them in a closed, draft-free room and let them fly there from time to time.

Myna bird


When you decide to let the bird fly freely around your home, first make sure all doors and windows are closed and there are no other potential hazards. Such as dogs or cats that can attack them. Or spinning ceiling fans they can fly into.

How to properly feed


Myna birds are omnivores. This means that they eat plant foods such as seeds and fruits. As well as insects or other small animals such as mice. Ideally, feed your pet a formula that is 18 percent protein, 8 percent fat, and low in iron.


Fruit is a large part of the diet of the myna bird. Try slicing a banana, apple, orange, pineapple, pear, plum, or watermelon for them. Since they also love insects, you can feed them worms or crickets. When feeding vegetables or fruits, make sure that everything is cut into small pieces, as these birds do not know how to chew their food. They swallow it right away.

Maina birds


Pellets are a good basic diet for Maina birds. They are concentrated forms of the right combination of nutrients required by different bird species. Pellets are convenient because they provide the right balanced nutrition. Of course, fresh, preferably distilled water should always be available in a clean bowl.

Bathing the myna bird


The myna bird loves to take baths and needs a bird bath, which can be made from waste food. It should be large enough for the bird to splash in a couple of liters of warm water.

This is not only pleasant, but also useful. Since such bathing is needed to remove dust, dandruff and old feathers. And also for additional moistening of feathers. After all, modern homes are equipped with air conditioners that can dry out the skin of a bird.

If there is no time for a proper bathing of Maina, then you can refresh her with a pulverizer. It has a fairly weak pressure, which will not harm her in any way.

bird Maina


After bathing, large excess water can be gently wiped off with a towel. Or you can leave the bird as it is, because it will most likely shake off all the excess water from itself. But drying it under the wind, a fan or a hair dryer is definitely not recommended.

Training of the myna bird


There is one interesting news for those who want to have such a bird. They can speak and, with proper training, will be able to learn and remember up to 100 human words. How to train myna? Choose the phrase you want her to learn and say that word clearly while repeating it over and over.

Learn more