Trichomonosis discovered amongst myna birds in Pakistan

Date:  April 23, 2018

Source:  University of East Anglia

Summary:

A strain of the disease responsible for killing nearly two thirds of the UK's greenfinch population has spread to myna birds in Pakistan. In 2011, the disease was discovered to have reached European finch populations. Now it has been found in an entirely separate songbird species -- the common myna, native to India and one of the world's most invasive species. Although it is not generally fatal to them, they may pass it on to other species.

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Mynas v miners: they might be swooping menaces but they're not all bad

Know your miner from your myna. Both are aggressive in different ways – discover why we’re killing one but never the other

Gary Nunn

Wednesday 29 November 2017 21.01 GMTLast modified on Wednesday 29 November 2017 22.55 GMT

A kookaburra nestles on my balcony and belts its deliciously rambunctious laugh, like an ape in a zoo. But, mid-cackle, it is interrupted by a series of urgent, high-pitched screams like sirens.

Three miner birds flutter in its face, screaming hysterically at it. At first, the kookaburra just gives the unrelenting interlopers an unblinking, nonchalant death stare before eventually giving in and moving on. The miners follow it and chase it out of the neighbourhood.

It is behaviour from the aggressive miner bird that I’ve noticed at disturbing levels – not just from my balcony but on streets and in parks. I’d heard that the miner bird was an introduced species and, given its aggression, felt this bird to be least worthy of my vote in the Guardian’s Bird of the Year poll. It is, however, a common misconception.

An ecologist, Stefan Hattingh, told me: “The miner bird is native to Australia. They’ll chase anything where they’ve got a nesting site nearby. They operate in a matriarchal system – the male is the lowest in the pecking order – and they breed in groups, which is why you saw three scream at the kookaburra. They know it’s carnivorous and will eat their young.”

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Myna bird cull proves successful in Cairns

April 26, 2016 8:00pm

Nick Dalton The Cairns Post

MORE than 38,000 myna birds have been culled in Cairns in less than five years as a campaign now moves to scientific research.

The research may discover a biological way to rid the environment of the pest.

Meanwhile, Cairns Remove Indian Mynas president Peter Goulding said James Cook University wanted some dead mynas for further research.

“JCU has asked us to supply 75 frozen birds for their science department, which we are seeking to do. However, we have just 12 days to get the birds they need,” he said.

A JCU spokeswoman said the university would consider using the birds to teach vertebrate anatomy and physiology.

“The university is working with the Men’s Shed to ensure the birds are being humanely euthanised as part of a broader program,” she said.

Mr Goulding said there were several research projects under way at universities.

“It is hoped that a biological solution may be found,” he said.

“However, there is no guarantee of this and we need to keep trapping to protect our diverse native wildlife.”

Mr Goulding said the latest data was “stunning,” with 1572 traps sold and 38,157 mynas culled.

“We have been working hard on our database and were pleased to be able to confirm the cull figures we suspected we had achieved,” he said.

“The community effort to date has been phenomenal.

“However, we cannot ease off now, especially as we are winning the battle.”

Mr Goulding said Men’s Shed members could teach people how to become effective trappers.

“If they don’t wish to euthanise the caught birds, most veterinarians will do it free of charge,” he said,.

“We are having a big impact in the India myna population.

“Surveys show that numbers have fallen at Cairns Airport and anecdotal evidence indicates significant reductions in many Cairns suburbs.

“Native birds are returning.”

Source …

K-P fails to take steps to control illegal trade

PESHAWAR: 

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) wildlife department has failed to take steps to control the illegal trade of birds and other animals across the province.

Leopard geckos, black scorpions, turtles, tuatara and myna birds are just a few of the animals that are being poached from K-P, they are then being traded illegally not only in the province but throughout the country and some are even being smuggled out of it.

Like in all other provinces, the black scorpion and the gecko have been pushed to extinction by the greed of poachers but it is the province’s birds that are suffering the most at their hands.

The trade is at its peak but arrests and other measures by wildlife officials is limited to vendors who sells myna, parrots and other colourful birds without obtaining licences to do so. “We are poor people and this is the only way we can make a living,” justified Bahadur Khan, who was arrested by wildlife officials for hunting down dozens of Myna birds.

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