Owls, indian mynahs, eagles, falcons, mallard ducks and crows

As part of Operation Bite Back, the following birds will not be allowed to be advertised on Junk Mail:

1. Owl

These magnificent creatures are mostly solitary and nocturnal. They are identified by a large broad head, binocular vision and binaural hearing. Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish. They are found in all regions of the Earth except Antarctica and some remote islands.

In most cultures, except Western Culture, owls represent bad omens and death. For this reason, people still kill owls when spotted to eliminate the omens. For this reason, all owls are listed on appendix II of the CITES treaty. This means that although owls are not near extinct yet, they are fast approaching the status of endangered.

2. Indian Mynah
   

These birds are originally from Asia and are very well adapted to urban life. They have an incredibly strong territorial instinct and have subsequently been listed as an extremely invasive bird species. They are one of only three bird species listed on the 100 species posing a threat to bio-diversity, agriculture and human interests.

Mynahs are notorious for being a pest, kicking other birds out of their nests and killing their young due to the Myna’s strong territorial instinct. In South Africa it is considered somewhat of a major pest and disturbance of the natural habitat; as a result, they are frequently shot and killed by people in urban environments and farmers alike.

3. Eagles
   

Most of the sixty species of eagles are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just fourteen species can be found – two in the United States and Canada, nine in Central and South America and three in Australia.

Eagles are large, powerfully built birds of prey, with a heavy head and beak.

At the one extreme, many people admire eagles for their impressive appearance, physical strength, and powers of flight. On the other hand, many people involved with small-stock and/or poultry farming view these birds as a threat and respond in kind.  This duality in human perception of eagles produces a challenge to the legislature and those tasked with the enforcement of environmental legislation.

4. Falcons

Falcons are medium sized birds of prey found all across the world although falcons tend to prefer the more temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Falcons are best known for their ruthlessness and their incredible flying abilities.

Falcons are birds of prey and are therefore known for their incredible hunting skills and being a ruthless, dominant predator within their environment. Falcons hunt their prey from the skies above and swoop down through the air to catch it once they have spotted a meal with their incredible eyesight. Falcons hunt all kinds of small animals like mice, frogs, fish and falcons will even catch small birds in the air.

Due to the large size, speed and alertness of the falcon, the falcon has few natural predators. Humans and wolves tend to be the main predators of the falcon on the ground and eagles and even large owls have been known to hunt the smaller species of falcon (and of course the young and inexperienced falcons) in the air. The eggs and chicks of the falcon are particularly vulnerable to being eaten.

5. Mallard Ducks

The mallard or wild duck is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia.

Mallards are very adaptable, being able to live and even thrive in urban areas which may have supported more localized, sensitive species of waterfowl before development. The release of feral mallards in areas where they are not native sometimes creates problems through interbreeding with indigenous waterfowl. These non-migratory mallards interbreed with indigenous wild ducks from local populations of closely related species through genetic pollution by producing fertile offspring. Complete hybridization of various species of wild ducks gene pools could result in the extinction of many indigenous waterfowl. The wild mallard itself is the ancestor of most domestic ducks and its naturally evolved wild gene pool gets genetically polluted in turn by the domesticated and feral populations.

6. Crows

Crows are considered to be among the world’s most intelligent animals with an encephalization quotient approaching that of some apes. They are believed to have evolved in central Asia and radiated out into North America, Africa, Europe, and Australia.

Intelligence and social structures makes most crow species an adaptable and opportunistic species. Crows frequently cause damage to crops and property, strews trash, and transfer disease. In densely populated areas around the world, they are generally regarded as nuisance animals.