Only three years after a 1991 survey counted 15 mynas per square kilometre in Canberra, a follow-up found the density had jumped to 75 birds per square kilometre, a five-fold boom in less than a decade. The city's myna population started with just 110 released birds between 1968 and 1971. This rapid rise shows how a handful of introductions can explode into a city-wide pest when food and roosts are abundant.
Mynas can survive where the warmest monthly average never drops below 23.2 °C (73.8 °F) and the coldest monthly average stays above -0.4 °C (31.3 °F). These temperature limits mean they can colonise the entire eastern Australian coast from tropical Cairns down to temperate Sydney, but they cannot establish in Tasmania's chillier climate or the arid outback. Their thermal tolerance explains why they are now the most common bird in many Australian suburbs, outcompeting native species in those climate bands.
A breeding pair typically lays 4-6 eggs, each about 30.8 mm long by 22 mm wide. Both parents sit on the clutch for 17-18 days before the chicks hatch, then feed them for another 22-24 days until they fledge. This fast turnover, combined with year-round breeding in many regions, lets mynas produce multiple broods annually, outcompete native birds for insects and nesting holes.
Male mynas will aggressively guard a territory as large as 0.83 hectares to keep rivals and other birds away from their nest and food sources. This fierce defense lets them push out native hollow-nesters, even larger birds like galahs, from valuable tree cavities and building eaves.
Common mynas measure 23-26 cm in length, weigh 82-143 g, and span 120-142 mm across their wings. In the wild they live on average four years, a lifespan limited mainly by food scarcity, poor nest sites, and weather.
Sources
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As the Common Myna strides purposefully across the sun-baked landscape, its sleek black plumage glistens like polished onyx, a striking counterpoint to the earthy tones of its surroundings. With a confident air, it forages for insects and seeds, its sharp eyes scanning the ground with an unyielding intensity, driven by an insatiable appetite and a will to thrive in even the most inhospitable of environments. In its remarkable adaptability and irrepressible spirit, the Common Myna embodies the very essence of a true ecological survivor.
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