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Kōrero: Introduced land birds

Distribution of mynas

Distribution of mynas

Mynas have steadily moved northwards in New Zealand. They were initially introduced in the South Island, but are no longer found there. By the 1890s mynas were numerous in Wellington, Manawatū and the Wairarapa, but they have almost disappeared from these areas. Their southern limit is now a line from Whanganui to Waipukurau, and their major populations are in the north of the country.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: C. J. R. Robertson, P. Hyvönen, M. J. Fraser, and C. R. Pickard, Atlas of bird distribution in New Zealand 1999–2004. Wellington: Ornithological Society of New Zealand, 2007

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Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Christina Troup, Introduced land birds – Starlings and mynas, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/map/17168/distribution-of-mynas (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Christina Troup, i tāngia i te 1 March 2009.

Comments

Ron Mackie
04 October 2023
I was teaching at Rangiora H S from 1967 -1987 and built a house in 1973 central Rangiora adjacent to a small park. WE BECAME AWARE OF MYNA IN THE RESERVE, EASILY IDENTIFIED BY THEIR RAUCOUS CALL AND THEIR RUNNING MOVEMENT. ONLY NOW I REALISE I HAVEN'T BEEN AWARE OF ANY MYNA FOR POSSIBLY THE LAST 20 YEARS?? THERE WAS A SMALL POPULATION OF MAGPIES THAT SEEMED TO BE IN CONFLICT WITH THE MYNA AND I WONDER IF THAT LED TO THE NYNAS DEMISE? AS A KEEN TRAMPER IN THE 70-90s I WAS AWARE OF SMALLPOPULATIOS IN THE FARMLANDS ADJACENT TO THE FOOTHILLS BETWEEN OXFORD AND RANGIORA. I FOUND YOUR RESERACH MOST INTERESTING BUT LEAVING MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT SOUTH ISLANDD EMISE! THANKS RON MACKIE