Manorina melanocephala
Description
The Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala) can be found along the east coast of Australia from north Queensland down to South Australia, and across to Tasmania. They are extremely adaptable and although they prefer woodlands and forests they happily live in urban area such as parks and leafy gardens as well.
They breed from June to December and may have many broods each season within the colony. The female has the responsibility of nest breeding however, the male, female and other “helpers” within the colony will care and feed young.
Recently new research has shown that the noisy miner is having a greater impact on other native birds than the invasive, introduced species of Myna bird. It found the noisy miner was taking over the declining woodlands from smaller birds, causing steep declines in their numbers. The birds have become such a big problem they have been nominated as a threat under the national environment protection act.
Adaptations
- Noisy Miners are social birds and live in family groups or colonies called ‘coalitions’
- They are extremely aggressive and will defend their territories from other colonies and birds tenaciously no matter the size
- Have a loud alarm call that is immediately taken up by the rest of the colony to warn of danger. This is where they get their name
Feeding relationships
- What I eat: nectar, fruits and insects. Very occasionally they will eat small reptiles and amphibians
- What eats me: Birds of prey, goannas, crows, magpies, kookaburras, feral cats and monitors steal chicks and eggs from nests, carpet snakes
Interesting facts
The noisy miner is a native species that is often mistaken for the introduced pest the Indian Myna (Acridotheres tristis). These two birds are very different with the introduced Myna being a 'starling' and the native miner being a 'honeyeater’.