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Pigeons, or Rock Doves, Indian Myna birds, sparrows and starlings. 

Pigeons, or Rock Doves

Pigeons, familiar to most people, are an exotic (nonnative) species. They are generalists in their feeding habits; although they prefer grain and seed, they consume garbage, insects, bread, and other handouts from people. Around barns pigeons can subsist on spilled or improperly stored grain. They nest on building ledges, rafters, and beams. Nests are shallow, flimsy platforms made of sticks, twigs, and grasses. Pigeons can breed year-round, although peak production occurs in spring and fall.

House Sparrows

House sparrows are a nonnative species introduced from Europe. The male is recognized by his black bib and white cheeks. The female, much harder to identify, is often confused with other sparrows. She is gray brown with an unstreaked, dingy breast, a buff eye stripe, and a streaked back. She can often be identified by her noisy monotone chirp. It is important to be able to identify this species, because all other sparrows are protected by law.

House sparrows consume many insects during the spring and summer. Being generalists, they also feed on grain and weed seeds around barns and in fields and consume garbage and other food items that people throw out.

Nests, which sparrows build in cavities are large, messy masses of grass, straw, leaves, and trash. Nests built in the open are often domed. Favorite nesting sites around barns and buildings include rafters, holes in walls, and areas behind shutters and under eaves. House sparrows nest primarily from March to September. A female has two to three broods per year.

Indian Myna Birds

Indian mynas are are a medium sized bird approximately 25 cm in length (body and tail). They have a chocolate brown body, dark brown to black head, yellow bill and bare yellow skin beneath and behind the eyes. Indian mynas have dark wings with prominent white patches visible in flight and a black tail tipped with white feather. They have long yellow legs and are commonly observed ‘hopping’ on the ground.

Male, female and immature birds all look similar. Indian mynas forage on the ground and have a distinctive walk or strut. They are a very noisy bird and produce loud, raucous calls including scolding and chattering. Calls and chattering continue late into the night and begin before dawn.

Indian mynas should not be confused with the noisy miner, which is a native honeyeater. The native noisy miner can be identified by its grey body, and black crown and cheeks (the whole head is not black). Noisy miners have a distinctive triangular patch of yellow naked skin behind the eye, while Indian mynas have yellow beneath and behind the eye.

Starlings

Starlings are also considered to be a major nuisance in all Sydney urban areas.

Introduction

The common starling (Sturnus vulgaris) is one of the most invasive bird pests worldwide, having established populations in many countries outside its natural range. It occurs naturally in Europe and Asia and introduced populations occur throughout North America, South Africa, Argentina, Polynesia, New Zealand and eastern Australia. Once introduced to a location they can colonise surrounding areas, including offshore islands. In 1863, starlings from England were first released in eastern Australia, where they are now widespread.

They can infest houses with bird lice, are often unwelcome in parks and shopping areas, especially at night where the roosting flocks can be unsightly, noisy and can contaminate the area with droppings.

Breeding

The breeding season is mainly from August to January. At this time large flocks of Common Starlings break up into pairs or small groups.
Nest sites are any type of hollow, such as tree hollows and house roof voids. The birds are aggressive when competing for
nesting sites and readily drive out native species.
Starlings will nest primarily in small patches of vegetation which are degraded and have little understorey.
The nest is an untidy cup of grasses, leaves, twigs and items of rubbish. The pale blue eggs are incubated by both sexes
which also raise the young birds. Often two broods are raised in a season.
Starlings return to the same area each year to breed, and their young will also use the same habitat as their parents.

They can infest houses with bird lice, are often the cause of skin iteration if found nesting in your home.