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Mynah birds have taken over my garden, displacing the natural avian fauna. I would like to get rid of them, but my being in Australia means that I can't buy a gun.

Any alternative suggestions on how to control them?

Niall C.
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2 Answers2

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See if there are any local falconers who would like to hunt in your area. That is if such a thing is legal in Australia.

Here in the states falconers commonly help reduce bird numbers at airports. Some military installations integrate falcons as a critical part of their Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH)abatement programs.

That Idiot
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An air rifle would do it, if that's permissible where you live (it is in the UK for use with feral pigeons and rats) and I believe its not illegal to shoot myna birds in Australia. However, if you live in a city or a built up area, it may not be possible to use an air rifle because of danger to other residents and pets.

It might be worth consulting with your local authority to see if they have any plan of action in place; from what I've read, culling is under consideration in some areas, but not decided upon. The alternative methods seem to be trapping and killing, or poisoning, and I'm not sure how safe the latter would be in areas where there are plenty of creatures you don't want to harm. This link here seems quite useful though http://indianmynah.blogspot.co.uk

Bamboo
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  • Bamboo!! You could shoot birds? Seriously? Why do we humans think we are so special we can decide what lives and what dies, just for OUR convenience. – stormy Jul 08 '19 at 21:00
  • @kevinsky Not an answer? So telling someone how to kill these birds to make their life more comfy is an answer? Does our site have some morality to maintain or not? Gross. Mynah birds are in the same family as Ravens, Crows, Jacks...BRILLIANT birds. I'd say they were smarter than us humans and I can support that stance! Yet we got the pellet guns and poisons. – stormy Jul 08 '19 at 21:03
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    @stormy blimey, you trawling through the archives or what... no, I don't shoot birds any more than you do - but I regularly kill aphids, snails, rats, house mice, clothes moth and any other pest that's necessary. And I bet you do too... we just happen not to live anywhere mynah birds ARE a serious pest... – Bamboo Jul 08 '19 at 22:27
  • Blimey!! You know I baited you, right? Grins!! Is this an archive? Sigh, 2016??? oK. I am certifiable!! Huggs, anyway...too weird! So sorry...; – stormy Jul 08 '19 at 23:51
  • In Australia air rifles are treated as category A firearms, the same as .22 rifles and break action shotguns so you need a licence. – PeterJ Jul 09 '19 at 07:19
  • @PeterJ: low power/distance air rifles and air guns are still legal in the UK for use on private land,but only for killing vermin - so users are usually farmers. – Bamboo Jul 09 '19 at 10:32
  • Well major wow...I knew of course that Aussies have had their guns taken away, given away? I just have a tough time envisioning having my weapons taken away. Sorry, and I guess New Zealand now is getting guns out of the hands of the people who NEED the guns as well. I am sorry but I have to say something. Peter, do you think that this banned gun thing helps? – stormy Jul 12 '19 at 00:52
  • @stormy sorry to butt in but check out the stats in the graph on the right for gun related deaths in high income countries here https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_violence_in_the_United_States - these are from 2010, its worse now for you guys. All the other countries (apart from yours, obviously) have gun control legislation, so maybe that answers your query. Gun legislation doesn't mean no guns at all, it just means they're tightly regulated – Bamboo Jul 12 '19 at 08:56
  • Bamboo, anything by Wiki is not credible. I think it is funny that people believe more laws, more rules, more regulation will keep them safe. Screw that!! I will fight to the death to keep our 2nd amendment and it looks like that just might be in the future. Giving up guns is just for dictators wanting to make their peon public easier and safer to HANDLE. The bad guys will ALWAYS have guns. The sweet peon peasants will just stand there and get killed. Is mace and blinding BLINDING laser light illegal as well? Sorry, I don't understand the thinking banning guns makes us safer? Laughable – stormy Jul 12 '19 at 21:00
  • And the regulations are like wading through a tar pit, NOW. How can regulations get TIGHTER? The bad guys are LOVING us peon peasants becoming more safe so they don't have to worry about JUST ONE PERSON smart enough to have a gun and knows how to use it. If they have a gun and are protecting themselves properly, they will have other deterrents as well, such as sensory technology, and a mind set learned from Special Forces. If there is that threat to the bad guys the bad guys won't bother! Banning guns, pfft, making regulations tougher? Is worthless. – stormy Jul 12 '19 at 21:04
  • Let the foxes and cougars into the unprotected chicken house with dumb chickens that don't know how to protect themselves. In nature, animals evolve to be able to protect themselves from the bigger predators: Bigger and sharper teeth, coloring, dens with holes too small for large predators and a dog gone back door. Otherwise, a small dude will become food for the bigger dudes. Why is this so tough to understand? Bamboo, tell me you don't own a gun! Or at least mace, laser light, have plan A or a B in place in case you are attacked. Forget police saving your butt! Banning guns is pure... – stormy Jul 12 '19 at 23:20
  • I don't own a gun, or a knife, or mace (illegal here) or a taser or pepper spray or a laser light or any other kind of defensive/offensive weapon. But then I'm English/British, and we don't suffer the constant fear of attack that seems to be endemic amongst Americans, and of which many of you who are American seem to be unaware. That level of fear in a western civilised country is peculiar to the US I'm afraid. Not sure why... perhaps its because guns are so prevalent, I don't know. We've had way more terrorist attacks (not least the IRA years ago) than you guys, yet we don't suffer that fear – Bamboo Jul 13 '19 at 01:06
  • We stupid Americans are not running around in fear, but we should be. Nooooo, we walk around with these phones glued to ears and completely serenely oblivious to all threats. Plenty of people OVER here do not own guns because they have no inclination to learn how to use one much less go through this god awful process to purchase a gun!! Gee, so you Brits have had more 'terrorist' attacks than us Americans who HAVE GUNS? Hummmmm. See what I mean? The thought that a victim MIGHT have a gun and MIGHT know how to use it is a major, major deterrent – stormy Jul 13 '19 at 20:53
  • ...and COME ON! Chicago? Guns are banned? The city with the highest ever EVER murder and mayhem by guns? What does that tell you? I certainly do not want or need a mommy/daddy government trying to tell me they know best. Especially when there is a huge conflict of interest! The government doesn't give a flying poo! about us! Period. Mace is illegal, huh! So if one gets attacked, which HAPPENS, that someone better be a kung fu fighter like Jackie Chan to live? Insanity, Bamboo. I do like the idea your cops have no guns. Our cops are getting out of control!! – stormy Jul 13 '19 at 20:58
  • And Wikipedia says what they are TOLD to say. And TOLD what not to say. And told HOW to say anything!! – stormy Jul 13 '19 at 21:00
  • Yeah, we gotta take this to chat...huggs, Bamboo. I love taking with FOREIGNERS because foreigners are more...untainted by the American Way! And I love hearing, 'blimey' and 'tart' GRINS! I've been using these sayings!! – stormy Jul 13 '19 at 21:04
  • Your comment re terrorist attacks is absolute nonsense - I could have a whole arsenal of guns, but guess what? they don't work against nail bombs left in rubbish bins, or car bombs or any other kind of explosive device left on a bus or a train...fact is, if you live in a society where guns are common, you're at more risk of being shot. Gun deaths and violence just in US schools last year was its highest ever - remember this https://www.vox.com/2018/12/10/18134232/gun-violence-schools-mass-shootings. – Bamboo Jul 13 '19 at 22:38
  • Wowsers - this place is turning into Reddit. – That Idiot Apr 03 '20 at 12:12