Indian mynas in the News

[Danny]

I just want a a pair to fiddle with in the aviary out of softbill desperation.

They really are beautiful birds; just a shame about their effects on the hollow nesting natives

A weed is simply a plant growing in the wrong place

I have the right place picked out and not a hollow nesting native for a good 10 meters or so. If they weren't a pain in the bum, we'd all own them. Look at Rainbow lorikeets in WA - a prime example of good bird in the wrong place - maybe we should call them rainbow mynah's

[Nrg800]

The journal that it was published in is open-access. So if anyone wants to look at the full report:
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi ... ne.0040622

And to be honest, I kinda want a pair of Starling.

[Danny]

The journal that it was published in is open-access. So if anyone wants to look at the full report:
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi ... ne.0040622

And to be honest, I kinda want a pair of Starling.

Starlings are very cool - one of my males has learnt all the calls around him so he does the chicks in the brooders, the wood duck 'mew' and the peep of the burdekins.

[Myzomela]

I have often wondered why nobody has hand-raised them to sell as pets.
They have great personalities and can mimic sounds etc.

People do in the USA.

Yes, I've seen the ads for them.(and lots of native Aussie doves, waterfowl etc)

I was referring to here in Australia. If they weren't feral pests everybody would be drooling over them, no doubt

[Tintola]

I hand reared two from the same nest when I was about 16 years old. They would eat anything and the male learned to say a few garbled words. They were ok in a mixed collection if well fed but I occasionally found a dead diamond dove partially eaten.
There are some great you tube vids of talking ones. Like this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLlGKhJ4sbs

[Danny]

Better vocal clarity than any lousy hook beak.