Environment

Get involved in the Indian Myna Eradication Scheme

Are you interested in taking part in Council's Indian Eradication Scheme?

Blacktown Council hire Indian Myna Traps out (free of charge) to residents through the Animals Holding Facility.

If you would like to be placed on the waiting list for a trap please call Council on 9839 6000.

Residents are advised that as part of the trap hire program, hirees are responsible for euthanising the birds themselves, as per the Department of Industry guidelines.

If you would like any further information on the program please call Council on 9839 6000 or email council.

Trapping Process

The process for participants taking part in trapping includes;

• When contacted by Council, pick up your allocated trap from Council's Animal Holding Facility.
• Monitor bird numbers for one week
• At the same time, feed the Indian Myna's at a selected location for one week, this is called Free Feeding. This allows the birds to become accustomed to regular feeds and lowers their fear.
• At the end of the free-feeding week, place the trap out at dusk or at night.
• Traps will remain with each participant for 3 - 4 weeks.
• At the end of the trapping period participants are required to clean the trap and return it to Council's Animal Holding Facility.
• It is helpful to continue counting the number of birds seen in your yard for several consecutive days after the trapping has ceased and report these to the Council. This information will help council further assess the Indian Myna problem.

Note: Participants will be given a detailed information pack on trapping pest birds.

Monitoring Trial

Council is seeking your assistance to take part in another component of the Indian Myna Eradication Scheme, by simply telling us the number of Myna birds you see in the Blacktown Local Government Area. This information will help determine the extent of the problem and assist in the development of any subsequent eradication programs.

Your contribution will prove vital to the success of the program.

All you need to do is some counting. Council encourages you to count the number of Indian Mynas you can see from your backyard each morning and record this number on a tally sheet. After one month, you would return the sheet to Council for central tallying. If you have more time to help with the trial, there are other data collecting programs you can be involved in.

To download the monitoring sheet click on the link below.

 Indian Myna Monitoring Sheet

When complete, you have the option of posting your results to Council at PO Box 63, Blacktown, NSW, 2148 or dropping them off at Council's Civic Centre, 62 Flushcombe Rd, Blacktown.

For assistance or advice on monitoring please call or email Council's on 9839 6000.

Reporting and monitoring of Indian Myna's helps us to track where the birds are and helps us to gather information about the effectiveness of the program.