A flock of Mynahs made an unsightly mess of food offerings left on the roadside along Sungei Tengah Road.
STOMPer Nature lover said:
"As I was driving past Sungei Tengah Road, I was surprised to see a group of people praying beside the roadside. They had put up food and drinks beside the road as a sacrifice.
"After their prayers they left the place and Mynahs suddenly swooped down on them like a flock of hungry vultures.
"They enjoyed the feast which included rice, beans, drinks, milk and kueh. After their feasting the road was in a mess."
Nothing new really; this is just one way in which urban birds such as these Javan mynas (Acridotheres javanicus) manage to find food. I would rather not make any statements about this religious practice, but suffice to say that this is one other way in which human traditions can affect local ecosystems.
Interestingly enough, the Bird Ecology Study Group has a post today about trying to tame wild birds with regular feedings. The writer notes how such attempts usually benefit the most common urban birds such as mynas and Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus). This is probably one major reason why there is no culture of setting up birdfeeders and nesting boxes in one's garden, unlike in many western countries.
