right to protect ?

It is not as colourful as the native ozie birds. It's plumage is actually shades of brown.  The  "Indian"  Myna, as it is called, is facing a big problem down under - slow genocide in the name of protecting  'native'  species.

 As an 'Indian' I sense a certain irony here. Social Darwinism underwrote the white mans' burden in India. It continues to do so even now- all over the world. Just the description of agendas has changed. "Democracy"  instead of "Civilization".

The Indian  myna  was originally brought to Australia from India, by very non native  settlers.,They liked its ability to mimic human voices and they loved its singing voice -something that the raucous native birds lacked.

 It escaped its cages and because it now thrives in wide open spaces, it is considered to be a major pest, Its aggressive habits, they say, threaten the lives and habitats of Native  birds. It needs to be controlled. Culled. Killed.  Fair and open Competition is not OK for the birds. Darwin be damned.

The fact that it is the urban growth that is causing species loss is simply ignored.

That there is another  bird that is far more aggressive is not mentioned  in this report . Its a native. It is colourful too. The  rainbow coloured lorikeet is also a threat to other species. including , by the way, the Indian myna.  And  it is a threat not just in New Zealand.

Why can't man, esp white man, stop playing God especially in the name of protecting "Others". The  self assigned "Right to Protect" , all too often, is becoming the right to  kill and plunder.

In 2005 the Australian community voted the common myna as the top “pest problem that needs more control”. They were more worried about mynas than cane toads, foxes, feral cats and rabbits. Many scientists, on the other hand, question the seriousness of myna impact and the type of management (if any) that is warranted.

Some research suggests that a Common Myna invasion is a symptom of habitat change, that the species takes advantage of the human modified environment and in fact has little impact on native bird species:

Unless we restore habitat and make these areas “less-suitable” for “pest” species, attempts to reduce species numbers are only likely to work in the short-term, with the species re-invading once control actions stop.

What a great idea! lets apply it to all species. Not excluding the  white man. 



http://theconversation.edu.au/we-love-to-hate-the-common-myna-but-what-should-we-do-about-it-8530


Thankfully the loris have driven away most of the indian minors, sparrows, & starlings that used to roost there.
However I've also noticed a decline in other parrot species. There are definitely fewer crimson rosellas around and I haven't seen an eastern rosella in our valley in over two years.
I even witnessed a huge gang of loris beating up some cockatoos down by the Woronora River.

http://www2b.abc.net.au/science/scribblygum/newposts/439/topic430329.shtm




   UPDATE:

 From natural pest control system to a pest that needs to be killed now.  Notice the irony?.  the repetition of white mistakes  made by  humans trying to play God. Control nature  is still the bottom line though. Continue to play great white god.

Don't bother about learning to live in harmony with nature.  White gods don't need to do that, do they? They would rather kill to control. Not just the poor birds , either. 

Mynas were introduced to Melbourne in the 1860s to combat insects in market gardens. Now, it is estimated their numbers have swelled to the millions.

Ms Gibson's Yarra Indian Myna Action Group is one of a growing number of community groups dedicated to controlling and reducing mynas. They are following the example of the first such group, formed in Canberra in 2006. In 1968, 110 mynas were introduced into the capital and by 2006 their numbers were estimated to be 93,000. Since then, the Canberra Indian Myna Action Group's 1300 members have removed more than 42,000 of the pests. The birds are either gassed or have their necks broken.

However I do fear that the passion for hating the myna is way too extreme. Australians appear to be more worried about mynas than cane toads, foxes, feral cats and rabbits.''

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/bird-plague-no-myna-matter-20120922-26dvl.html#ixzz27GUe8zeW http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/bird-plague-no-myna-matter-20120922-26dvl.html