A myna annoyance

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2023-03-13 03:00

New Zealand

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Trawling through documents from the 1800s, researchers have tracked the import of the common myna to New Zealand by acclimatisation societies, which were initially set up to make the New Zealand countryside feel more like ‘mother England’. The documents reveal myna were released around the motu - even as far south as Dunedin - and are today widespread mostly in the warmer climes of central and upper North Island. While one reason for the myna's introduction was to deal with insects on farmland, they are now considered a pest in many places due to crop damage and threat to native birds. It's hoped this research will be useful for an upcoming project investigating the common myna's genomic adaptation since being introduced to Aotearoa.