- info@naturebylennart.com
In 2016 I went for a short trip to Israël. It was mostly a culturally oriented trip, while I of course did my best to see some nice animals on the side as well. It was a nice trip on which I met pretty nice people wherever I went. The birds were a different matter though!
Common Myna is a bird species that originates from India. Because people weren’t all that careful with the spreading of these birds they’ve enlarged their original area quite a bit. They occupy a respectable third place on the IUCN-list of the worst invasive species in the world. So they are not very well liked in many places. The other side of the Common Myna is that it’s success doesn’t just come out of nowhere. Common Myna’s are smart birds who aren’t too picky about their food. Apart from that they remain loyal to their partner for their whole life.
When I was about to step into the Dead Sea I suddenly heard a loud screeching. It turned out it was coming from two Common Myna’s fighting each other for all they had got. After a few moments their partners joined the fight with one partner actually getting into the fight and the other just staying clear while encouraging. The one Myna now facing two others fought for what he was worth, but couldn’t beat them. Luckily I had my camera with me and I could nicely document the whole fight. Finally one couple came out the victor and the other couple had to tuck its tail. It’s clear the Common Myna is worthy of its reputation!
Scroll through the gallery to see how the fight elapses!
Of course Israël had many other native birds as well. Below a small selection of those birds.
Palestine Sunbird
Corn bunting
Dead Sea Sparrow
Sardinian Warbler
Grey Wagtail
Little Egret
White-throated Kingfisher
Pygmy Cormorant
