Controlling and Deterring Large Pests

Angry Bird Control: How to Manage Your Environment to Keep Indian Mynas Away

23 August 2016 by Katrina Alvarez

It is Angry Birds season and Red and his sidekicks, the speedy Chuck and the volatile Bomb will stop at nothing to keep those pea-green pigs from invading their island. However, while those angry birds may be of the cute and funny variety, there is another much less cuddly kind that is ravaging the Australian landscape. 

Indian myna birds are so aggressive and territorial that they make the angry birds terrifying the pigs on screen resemble fluffy, yellow ducklings. Introduced to Australia in the 1800s to stem the tide of insects ravaging crops in Melbourne, they quickly became one of the most invasive species Australia has ever known and were aptly nicknamed "rats of the sky."

Indian Mynas Drive out the Natives

Indian mynas are a menace to native Australian birds because they are unable to coexist with them. Once they move in, they attract other mynas and often congregate in flocks of up to 20 birds at a time. They then proceed to eradicate other species in the area by chasing them off and tossing other species' eggs and newly hatched chicks out of any nests they might find. If you notice these angry birds around your house, you should take steps to drive them out. 

Manage Your Environment

While using traps and poison does work if you are persistent, you should couple your efforts with effective environment management practices to clear them out for good. 

1. Feed pets indoors: Feed your pets indoors because Indian mynas will either steal food from your pets or eat any leftovers. 
2. Grow indigenous plants: Fill your garden with plants indigenous to Australia like "Yellow Gems" or "Grey Myrtles," to encourage native birds to compete with mynas.
3. Imitate natural bushland areas: Imitate the structure of the natural Australian bushland in your area, and provide plenty of shrubbery for small birds to thrive in while eradicating the open spaces that Indian myna's love. 
4. Stop leaving food out: Stop feeding the birds. Rather provide them with natural food in the form of the plants mentioned above. 
5. Remove all rubbish: Indian mynas will use your waste to build nests nearby. Deprive them of building materials. 
6. Remove roosting spots: Don't plant tall trees with thick canopies because flocks of mynas will roost there and create a terrible racket, not to mention mess. 
7. Block any holes: Locate and fill in all holes and areas that Indian mynas could use for nesting spots.
8. Join Forces: Encourage your neighbors to get involved. If you work together to drive out these angry birds, they will be forced to move on. 

If your yard is experiencing its very own Angry Bird war and you can't seem to shift the shrieking pests, you might need to consider hiring a pest removal service to deal with your bird problem. Just like the birds in the Angry Birds movie, Australians are fighting back against these invaders and seeing success. Help native Australian birds return to your gardens and yards where they should be.