# Mynah Birds



## lisa0307 (Aug 25, 2009)

Back in the late 80's and early 90's we used to see Mynah Birds for sale as pets but nowadays they are not seen at all.
Just wondered if anyone has a Mynah bird
Why have these birds ceased to be pets anymore.
WildWoods water garden centre use to have one and it talked.


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## Fleur (Jul 19, 2008)

Our local pet shop had a resident one that would say hello and whistle at everyone who came in
Us local kids would pop in and say hello all the time
But like you say I haven't seen one since the 80's


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## mrs phas (Apr 6, 2014)

bit like tortoise in the 70's, most hill mynahs [the ones youd see in shops talking] were wild imports and many died as a result of capture and transport
In the 90's they were classified as endangered and put on the cities register, i think either at a II or III stage
You can still buy captive bred ones, but, again like tortoise, they are very expensive and hard to get hold of


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## Zaros (Nov 24, 2009)

When I lived in England I often took the kids to a fairly local park that had a large aviary and other animal enclosures. Rheas, Wallabies, Rabbits and such like.

The aviary housed a couple of Mynah Birds and from what I understand they are quick to learn to talk.

Too bloody right they were.

Shortly after the entire park underwent extensive renovations if was discovered that both Mynahs had been taught various expletives by the workmen.:Jawdrop

They were removed after many complaints but I don't know where the F:MutedK they went after that.


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## lisa0307 (Aug 25, 2009)

mrs phas said:


> bit like tortoise in the 70's, most hill mynahs [the ones youd see in shops talking] were wild imports and many died as a result of capture and transport
> In the 90's they were classified as endangered and put on the cities register, i think either at a II or III stage
> You can still buy captive bred ones, but, again like tortoise, they are very expensive and hard to get hold of


Didn't know they were wild imports thanks for the info, much appreciated. x


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## MollySmith (May 7, 2012)

We…..uhmmmmm…. we owned own as a child.

My dad build an aviary for him. I don't think I've mentioned it much I _absolutely agree_ that they are wild birds. It was left in the parcels office at Liverpool Street Station when my dad worked at this station. Nobody knew what to do so my dad bought him home as my mum had a side line in looking after sick birds on account of them flying into a huge window in our local school and ours was the closest house…. as you do.

He lived a very long life and mimicked my relatives accents. He could do the perfect Geordie and Essex, and the phone so well my parents used to get up to answer it only to have the bird from the other end of the house chattering 'ello'.

Ironically I have a phobia of feathers so I had very little to do with it and was always very disappointed that we didn't have a normal pet. Those who know my name in real life which is unusual will appreciate that taking the bird to school in his cage for show and tell, having red hair.. well let's just say I grew up fast!


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## Dogloverlou (Dec 8, 2013)

Our local pet shop still has one as far as I recall last time I was there. He says hello to mostly everyone who enters


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## Siskin (Nov 13, 2012)

Saw a number of wild ones in Singapore and New Zealand this year, but I don't think they were the type that you used to see in pet shops as they were about the size of starlings. However they seemed to have the same sense of humour and mimicry as the larger birds


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## poohdog (May 16, 2010)

_*The popular one over here before the restrictions on bird imports was the Greater Indian Hill Mynah.
I keep and breed foreign birds and was glad to see an end to the wild bird imports.As prices rocketed breeders here were encouraged to breed species that they had shown little interest in before.It was a good result for the hobby and ended a lot of cruelty inflicted on the wild caught birds.*_


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## Valanita (Apr 13, 2010)

My friends in the early 1960's had one. He had the run of their home & talked very well. It made me jump when he landed on me if we were busy chatting & weren't taking notice of him.
The was one in a pet shop too, the first time I went in I heard a voice say, come in & close the door. Can I help you? I couldn't see anyone but I answered & then the voice said, go away. Then I noticed the bird by the counter in a large cage. The shop owner came out & we both laughed, she said he catches everyone each time.
They are/were amazing talkers, but I'm glad the PTB stopped their imports. 
Tortoises too, we had one, Timmy lived many years in our garden.


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## lisa0307 (Aug 25, 2009)

£2000 a pair.. for sale on Gumtree.
http://www.gumtree.com/p/birds/greater-hill-mynah-pairs/1127103060


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## charlie1234 (Apr 15, 2018)

lisa0307 said:


> Back in the late 80's and early 90's we used to see Mynah Birds for sale as pets but nowadays they are not seen at all.
> Just wondered if anyone has a Mynah bird
> Why have these birds ceased to be pets anymore.
> WildWoods water garden centre use to have one and it talked.


i have a greater hill mynah named jasper . uk bred . yes these birds are real characters and make great pets . yes very rare these days but there are one or two breeders but be prepared to pay 850 to 1000 for a baby. the java hills are the best talkers.


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## MollySmith (May 7, 2012)

Deleted


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## Magyarmum (Apr 27, 2015)

I lived in an apartment just out of the Durban city centre and most mornings you'd have two or three Mynah birds tapping at the window.

Mynah birds were originally brought to Durban by Indians who came to work in the cane fields.

In Durban if you want to go anywhere within the city you catch a Mynah bus like this one ...


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## Guest (Apr 16, 2018)

Siskin said:


> Saw a number of wild ones in Singapore and New Zealand this year, but I don't think they were the type that you used to see in pet shops as they were about the size of starlings. However they seemed to have the same sense of humour and mimicry as the larger birds


Yes they're absolutely everywhere here!


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## charlie1234 (Apr 15, 2018)

i believe the common mynah are considered a pest in some countries around the world. these birds are always available in the uk but unfortunately some people get disappointed when mistaking them for a greater hill species . sadly a lot of the time are sold on. although the common mynah do make nice pets and some talk well but there power of mimicry compared to a greater hill or a java hill is like comparing a budgie to a african grey !


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