Protecting native birds and wildlife
You can help protect native birds and wildlife with some simple actions at home.
Threats to native birds and wildlife include:
- bread or food that they don’t normally eat
- loss of habitat
- pests like rabbits, foxes and the Indian Myna bird
- stray domestic animals
- waste and water pollution
- cars and other vehicles
- the effect of climate change on habitat and food supply
You can help protect native birds and wildlife from these threats by:
- not feeding them bread or food that they don’t normally eat
- planting native and indigenous plants to attract wildlife like birds or bees
- having more trees with hollows for native animals to nest in
- installing a nesting box
- minimising garden chemicals and pesticides use
- not letting your cat wander the streets
- making sure your dog is only off-leash in specified ‘off-leash’ parks and reserves.
Indian Myna bird
The Common Myna or Indian Myna is an introduced pest and its population is growing fast. You can identify a by its yellow beak and eye patch and brown body.
These two organisations run control programs in Darebin:
- Yarra Indian Myna Group (YIMAG) raises awareness and sets humane traps.
- Darebin Creek Management Committee works with the Darebin Parklands Association to set humane traps.
You can help with the Myna bird problem by:
- not leaving food scraps, pet food or bones outside
- covering rubbish bins and other potential food sources
- not feeding feed birds in your backyard
- blocking potential nest sites, such as holes in roofs or gutters
- removing any Myna nests you find in nest boxes or tree hollows
- using self-closing doors and flyscreens
- starting a personal or community trapping and disposal program
More resources
- Please don't feed the birds or wildlife factsheet – English (PDF, 1.4MB)
- Please don't feed the birds or wildlife factsheet – Arabic (PDF, 2.9MB)
- Please don't feed the birds or wildlife factsheet – Mandarin (PDF, 2.9MB)
- Victorian Government Biodiversity 2037 plan
- Victorian Government wildlife information