A BENDIGO resident has pulled more than 20kg of rubbish out of a section of guttering in a striking example of the lengths a feral bird species will go to muscle in on native rivals.
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Andrew Plim recently removed the sodden pile of twigs, leaves and plastic litter from a rain harvesting head connected to his home's gutters after it was blocked by Indian myna birds.
He said it was one example of the tactics the birds had used to block rivals' potential nesting sites.
They also smothered baby birds to death in their own nests - a fate Mr Plim suspected swallows and rosellas may have met near his house last spring.
"I just want to make people aware of the damage they cause," he said.
It was not just native birds the mynas affected.
Mr Plim had noticed his home had noticed water damage at his home and was investigating whether rubbish stuffed into rain heads had been trapped deep in his guttering system.
Indian myna bird numbers have become an increasing problem around Bendigo.
The problem prompted North Bendigo Landcare to start selling specialised traps to residents several years ago.
It recently began a new drive to distribute the traps to residents coinciding with the spring breeding season.
Group member Jenni Heinrich said the team wanted to spread at least 50 traps throughout town, targeting suburbs like Strathfieldsaye, Flora Hill, the city centre and Eaglehawk.
"That's where I've noticed them the most," she said.
Ms Heinrich said the Landcare group was especially interested in reaching out to people living in the streets near Sacred Heart Cathedral and Peg Leg Road, where the mynas congregated in large numbers.
Mr Plim caught his first myna on Sunday and urged others to do their bit.
He hoped that bird's demise was just the first win in a fightback to deal with the problem in his suburb.
He also urged people to avoid leaving cat food out, which feral species often scavenge.
To purchase a myna bird trap or to learn more about the program email landcareversusmynas@gmail.com
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