Myna birds filmed taking the train like regular Sydney commuters

Unexpected trackwork delays and packed carriages can harry even the most seasoned of Sydney train commuters, but this wasn’t the case for a pair of common myna birds who were filmed looking ultra-relaxed while taking a free ride on the morning train this week.

Writer Jackie Dent was heading towards Central station on the Chatswood line on Monday when she stumbled upon two feathered passengers casually perched on top of a seat.

“I got on at Roseville earlier today and there were two birds on the train,” Dent shared in an Instagram post. 

“They seemed very relaxed and at home; there was no edgy fluttering about. 

Intrigued, Dent alerted a train station guard when she hopped off at Chatswood to switch trains. 

To her surprise, the guard knowingly suggested it was far from the birds’ first joyride.

“‘They always catch the train,’ she remarked,” Dent wrote. 

“Incredibly, I was told the birds catch the train every day between Lindfield and Artarmon scrounging food - and then they take the train back. 

“The birds apparently know when to get on and off because of the announcements.”

‘Incredibly intelligent’. A bird expert weighs in

While the sight of two birds comfortably riding a Sydney train might leave many commuters pondering how they do it, Australian bird expert Grainne Cleary said she wasn’t surprised at all.

“Our biggest mistake is underestimating the common bird,” she said.

“They are exceptionally intelligent and adaptable, and they are fast problem solvers.

“Which means they do great in urban areas because they are going to work at problems such as getting food.”

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So, how exactly are the myna birds managing to navigate Sydney’s train system without missing their stop?

According to Cleary, the birds are likely to be relying on a combination of environmental and visual cues as the train rolls down the tracks. 

“You can see the two of them are working together, and they’re kind of looking out the window, so they’re watching the vegetation, they’re watching the light change as they move,” she said. 

Myna birds were fast learners, and other cues the birds might be using to keep track of when to get off were the number of stops, and the audible chime the train made when it pulled into the station, she said.

It was also entirely possible the birds had learned to recognise the names of the stations, she added.

“These birds are mimics. So when people keep them in cages, they will learn to mimic just the way a parrot or a cockatoo does,” Cleary said.

“And if it can mimic, it means it can learn pronunciation.”

Myna birds would habitually go back to the same places if they knew there was a reliable source of food supply there, Cleary said.

As omnivores, mynas were not picky about what they ate, and would happily devour chips, rice, left over burritos or any other human scraps, she said.

Other Sydneysiders were quick to chime in to Dent’s post, sharing their own stories of other birds they had observed doing the same thing.

“There’s a bird that gets on a Tallawong metro and will get off at Castle Hill between the times of 3:30/5pm EVERY DAY,” Jordan wrote. 

“I witnessed a pigeon do similar, got on at Central and off at Strathfield seemingly on purpose. Looked like it knew when to leave,” Simon said. 

“Fare-dodgers, no doubt, but I guess it’s a myna infringement,” Jonathan quipped.