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Egypt Details Coordinated Measures to Curb Common Myna Spread

Common myna perched at Rabindra Sarobar, Kolkata, India
Conservation · Management

Egyptian authorities are continuing a coordinated programme to monitor and limit the spread of the common myna (Acridotheres tristis). The Ministry of Local Development and Environment described the measures in a statement reported on 11 June 2026, and the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency published the official details the following day.

Sources differ on the earliest Egyptian record

The official 2026 notice says the species was first recorded in Egypt in 1999 on the Sinai Peninsula. A 2024 peer-reviewed distribution study instead cites an earlier 1998 record at Ain Sukhna on the Gulf of Suez. The sources therefore differ on the earliest documented occurrence, but both show that the species subsequently spread widely. The official notice now lists the Suez Canal cities, Greater Cairo, the Nile Delta, parts of Upper Egypt and coastal areas among the regions reached. The ministry links this expansion to rapid reproduction, broad food use, tolerance of urban and agricultural environments and the ability to nest in both buildings and trees.

A 2024 field and distribution-modelling study provides additional context for that expansion. Surveys from February to December 2023 documented 117 occurrence sites across Egypt. The researchers then used a MaxEnt species-distribution model, which compares environmental conditions at known occurrence sites with conditions across the wider landscape to map relative habitat suitability. The model classified about 8,240 km², or 0.8% of Egypt, as highly suitable under current conditions. This is modelled potential habitat, not 8,240 km² in which common mynas were confirmed present. The study also projected an expansion of suitable habitat under future warming scenarios.

Management combines monitoring, nest control and food reduction

The ministry’s current management approach combines repeated monitoring with direct measures at breeding and feeding sites. Teams are to map distribution, record observations and count birds over time. Management measures include removing nests, sealing potential nesting sites in buildings at appropriate times, monitoring major aggregation sites, covering rubbish bins, preventing exposed food waste, cleaning markets and ports, and improving agricultural-waste management.

Measures aimed at native birds include nest boxes with entrances designed to exclude the larger common myna while remaining accessible to smaller local species. The ministry also asks residents not to keep or release invasive birds and to report large concentrations. The official notice states that common mynas are included among birds permitted for annual hunting as part of efforts to limit their numbers and spread.

The ministry says monitoring will continue alongside studies of the species’ effects on native birds and Egyptian biodiversity. Its stated approach is integrated management and containment rather than an attempt at complete eradication, with future action guided by distribution maps, repeated counts and field results.

Sources and image credit

  1. Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency. (2026, June 12). وزارة التنمية المحلية والبيئة تواصل جهودها لرصد طائر المينا الهندي للحد من انتشاره [Ministry of Local Development and Environment continues efforts to monitor the Indian myna to limit its spread].Primary official source detailing the ongoing integrated management measures: monitoring and counts, nest removal, sealing potential nesting sites, waste controls, nest boxes for native birds, public reporting and continued assessment of impacts.
  2. Samir, S. (2026, June 11). Egypt launches campaign curbing population of invasive ‘Indian Myna birds’. Egypt Today.Contemporaneous report documenting the ministry statement on 11 June 2026; retained to support the story date, while the official EEAA notice published the full details on 12 June.
  3. Orabi, G. M., Semida, F. M., Medany, D. M., Issa, M. A., Ragab, S. H., & Kamel, M. (2024). Predicting the invasion range of the common myna, Acridotheres tristis Linnaeus, 1766 in Egypt under climate change. Sustainability, 16(15), 6495. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16156495Peer-reviewed distribution study used for the 117 occurrence sites surveyed in 2023, the approximately 8,240 km² highly suitable current invasion area and projected expansion of suitable habitat under future warming.

Image: Tisha Mukherjee / Wikimedia Commons — common myna photographed at Rabindra Sarobar, Kolkata, India, 10 February 2025; Featured Picture and Quality Image; representative species image; cropped to 16:9 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

About this content: This story was produced with AI assistance within an editorial workflow developed by Wildlife Vagabond. Editorial responsibility remains with Wildlife Vagabond.How AI is used

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