The Noisy Miner and the Indian Myna are two fierce bird species here in Australia that are known for being aggressive. In this article, we’re going to put them into the ring to face off against each other and find out who would win. Welcome to the Noisy Miner vs Indian Myna title fight.
The Noisy Miner is an Australian bird whereas the Indian Myna or Common Myna was introduced from Asia in 1862. Both birds are around the same size but differ greatly in colour. Noisy Miners are mostly grey while Indian Mynas are dark brown to black. Both have a yellow patch of skin behind the eye.
Alright, let’s put them in the ring and see who comes out the victor. This is going to be a good stoush so do not look away from the screen. Let’s get ready to rumble!
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The Noisy Miner
In the true-blue corner, we have the tough little local from Oz, the Noisy Miner. This bird is a feisty competitor and not willing to take any crap from any bird. Let’s take a look at its stats:
| Size: | 24-28 cm |
| Weight: | 40-91 g |
| Wingspan: | 130-137 mm |
| Appearance: | Mostly grey with a broad black band above the eye. A narrow strip of olive green on the wing feathers. Fine white scaling on the nape and hindneck. Dusky and white scalloping on the throat and upper chest. A bare patch of yellow skin behind each eye. The bill is orange-yellow to yellow. Belly light grey. |
| Disposition: | Bold, curious, very aggressive and territorial; will forcefully defend its territory against pretty much anything, including Cormorants and Herons! |
| Agility: | Mostly sedentary but will move fast to defend its territory. |
| Arsenal: | Three forward-facing claws, the mid-toe and claw around 22.8 mm. One backward-facing toe to help with a strong grip. Strong, sharp bill around 17.2 mm. |
| Vocal Agility: | Noisy. High-pitched screech when attacking. |
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If aggression fails, this bird has another trick up its sleeve. The high-pitched screech it emits can send any aggressor packing:
There is no doubt in my mind that this local bird will put up a good fight today. It is no stranger to taking on birds much bigger than itself in its home territory. However, it does like to fight as part of a flock so it will interesting to see how it goes solo.
The competitor today is no easy opponent. Let’s take a look at the stats for the Indian Myna.
The Indian Myna (Common Myna)
This bird quickly became right at home in Australia after being introduced way back in 1862 to control insects in market gardens in Melbourne. They are now found all along the east and southeast coasts of Australia.
| Size: | 23-26 cm |
| Weight: | 82-143 g |
| Wingspan: | 128-138 mm |
| Appearance: | Three forward-facing toes with claws. The middle toe is around 30.4 mm long. One back-facing toe for a strong grip. Bill 25-30 mm. |
| Disposition: | Aggressive and a little savage. Breeding pairs will defend the territory around their nest. Known to kill other bird species and small mammals to compete for tree hollows to nest in. |
| Agility: | Very nimble. Will hop sideways when foraging or on branches. Flight is strong and direct. |
| Arsenal: | Three forward-facing toes with claws. Middle toe is around 30.4 mm long. One back-facing toe for a strong grip. Bill 25-30 mm. |
| Vocal Agility: | Very vocal though more melodic than the Noisy Miner. |
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Though the common myna can get fairly loud when provoked, I hope it doesn’t use its vocal abilities in this fight. I don’t think it could match up to the noisy miner’s screech.
As I mentioned, the common or Indian myna is no easy opponent; fiercely aggressive, quick on its feet, and as you can see in the image above, it has a deadly sidekick!
This is facing up to be a top bout. Let’s compare the two contenders side-by-side and see if we can’t come up with a favourite here.
Noisy Miner Vs Indian Myna Head-to-head
 |  | |
| Size | 24-28 cm | 23-26 cm |
| Weight | 40-91 g | 82-143 g |
| Wingspan | 130-137 mm | 128-138 mm |
| Bill length | 17.2 mm | 25-30 mm |
| Middle toe and claw | 22.8 mm | 30.4 mm |
| Aggression (1-10) | 9 | 10 |
| Agility (1-10) | 8 | 9 |
| Arsenal (1-10) | 9 | 10 |
Even though both of these birds are around the same size, the Indian Myna comes out in front in many of the stats. It’s almost double the weight, has a slightly bigger wingspan, a longer bill, and its middle toe and claw are so much longer. The foreign challenger also rates higher for aggression and agility.
So if we did put these two in the ring…which would be victorious?
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The Champion Is…
In my opinion, the winner by knockout is the Indian Myna.
This bird is just too aggressive for the noisy miner who, though also aggressive in its own right, is more of a from-a-distance aggressor. While it will defend itself energetically, it does this more for annoyance and won’t go in for the kill like the Indian myna will.
The Indian myna also has more in its arsenal with that longer beak and longer middle toe and claw. It can even use this arsenal to hold down a Crow as you can see in this video on YouTube.
I predict the Indian myna would win by a total k.o. in the first round. The local bird would put up a decent defense but I’m afraid it would prove not enough.
References
- Birds Of The World – The Cornell Lab
- Birdlife Australia
- Noisy Miner, Manorina melanocephala – Museum Of New Zealand
- Call to trap ‘exploding’ populations of Indian Myna birds – ABC News
- Indian Myna Acridotheris tristis – Queensland Government
- Common Myna measurements table – Semantic Scholar
- The Australian Bird Guide – purchase from catch.com.au
- Bird sounds from xeno-canto.org