The Indian Mynah was an introduced species present in large numbers at Kwajalein in the 1950s and 1960s. They could often be seen walking in yards or down the street, and would gather in large numbers in certain island trees at dusk and generate a considerable cacaphony. A Report for 1949-1954 by the National Research Council mentioned "the invasion of Kwajalein by the mynah bird and the importance of exterminating it." Clapp (1990) lists it from Kwajalein as "Introduced: Now extirpated." An article by Mary Browning in the Kwajalein Hourglass for December 15, 1980 (and reprinted May 7, 2016), summarizes an article in the Atoll Research Bulletin No. 137 by Binion Amerson, which notes that the common mynah was found at Kwajalein between 1950 and 1960 with several pair established, and that none were seen after 1966. I personally remember many more than several pair, and they extended at least into the mid 1960s, maybe later. By the end of the 60s, they were apparently gone, possibly due to the frequent use of DDT for insect control during the early part of that decade. The photo below is from Honolulu, Hawaii.
Created 24 January 2018