As the most common bird in Singapore, the Javan Myna is also the most frequent visitor to my balcony.
The bird was first brought into Singapore around 1920 as a pet bird and quickly increased in population due to its great adaptability. Although it is native to Java and Bali, the Javan Myna can also be seen in Southeast Thailand, Southern Malaysia, Sumatra, the Lesser Sundas, Taiwan, Puerto Rico, Japan, and Singapore.
In Singapore, however, Mynas have been branded as pests for fouling cars, raiding food centers, and generating cacophony. Visiting Orchard road would give one a clear picture of how giant flocks of Mynahs produce incessant noises and plague the walks with their feces.
Many people now try to defeat the mynas by employing anti-myna tactics such as foul-smelling herb-based gels and chemical fogs; however, I believe that it is more important to realize that the increase in human waste fueled the increase in the Mynah’s population.
Hence, it might be a time for people to focus more on controlling their waste and find a way to live in harmony with Mynas rather than removing them from their lives.
Video:
References:
- YANGCHEN, L. (2016). The javan mynah: Today’s pest, tomorrow’s food?. [online] The Straits Times. Available at: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/the-javan-mynah-todays-pest-tomorrows-food [Accessed 18 Sep. 2016].
- https://nusavifauna.wordpress.com/2012/07/26/javan-myna/
Animals in South-East Asia 