Mynas are closely related to the Starling but are slightly larger in size and have different colourings.
They were introduced in the 1870’s, mainly to the South Island to help combat the massive insect problem.
By 1890 they had spread into the lower North Island but had died out in the South Island. They continued to spread north, reaching Auckland by the late 1945.
Today they are abundant in Northland but are no longer found in the Wellington region.
Mynah’s diet consists of worms, snails and caterpillars, fruit, scraps and roadkill.
They are considered a pest because they damage fruit and also kill native birds. Although many people claim that they do, there is no valid evidence that Mynahs evict native or endemic birds from nesting holes or kill the young in the nests.
Except for the breeding season, when the female stays on the nest to incubate the eggs, Mynahs gather each night in large communal roosts
Mynahs mate for life and a pair will stay together for many years. In the breeding season they are strongly territorial and are often seen, in rural areas, attacking Magpies or even Hawke’s that stray too close to their territory.
The nest is a cup of dry grass, twigs and leaves, usually in a hole in a tree, cliff, or building, similar to a Starlings nest.
The male and female Mynah are alike in appearance. They are approximately 24cm long and weigh around 125gms.
Their bodies are chocolate brown, with a black head and neck. They have a yellow beak, eye patch, feet and legs. White wing patches can be seen when the birds are flying
Activities
In exactly 30 words describe the behaviour of the Mynah as you know it.
Look up images of Mynahs, choose one and draw it in the centre of your page and then create a 30 word poem decsctibing some aspect of the Mynah
