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[Farnboro John]

How to make up for losing all those Crossbills and Redpolls.....

‘The next parakeet’: Britain’s dawn chorus at risk from Asian songbird

John

 

[Welsh Peregrine]

So has anyone on here seen one in the U.K.?

 

[Mono]

Here's the paper that sparked the recent press articles.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ibi.13090

 

[kb57]

Only seen this species once, when I walked up Emei Shan in the snow in March 1988 - they were around Baoguo Temple at the foot of the mountain, below the snow line - but my memories are it was easily as cold as a British winter there, so I'd have thought well able to survive here.

 

[Xenospiza]

So has anyone on here seen one in the U.K.?

There was one somewhere in the Lea Valley 15+ years ago. I know people who saw it.

 

[JWN Andrewes]

One at Leasowe, North Wirral, back in mid - late eighties.

 

[Farnboro John]

The capture option right now seems the best solution for all concerned, presumably all one needs is a ringer with equipment and a mobile phone.

John

 

[Evan Atkinson]

Please not more invasives... Already had enough with the parakeets. Wish they were predated a bit more by BoP's tbh.

 

[Farnboro John]

Please not more invasives... Already had enough with the parakeets. Wish they were predated a bit more by BoP's tbh.

Of course much of our eco-system in Britain is underpinned by Rabbits (introduced), which are a principal prey of Buzzards and Polecats among others; its cousin the Brown Hare is also introduced. Of our six species of deer four are introduced. Mandarins are introduced (I don't know the truth of it but at one time it was alleged that there were more Mandarins here than in their traditional range.) Canada Geese and many of our Greylags are introduced. Brown Rats hitch-hiked; so did the Common Voles on Orkney.

There is, periodically, a lot of fuss about invasive aliens, and we could do with more aggressive strategies for dealing with some of them: why are there not national programmes (as for Ruddy Duck) to annihilate the American Mink and Eastern Grey Squirrel is a very good question that nobody in power wants to address.

But otherwise, be careful what you wish for.

John

 

[Steve Babbs]

Of course much of our eco-system in Britain is underpinned by Rabbits (introduced), which are a principal prey of Buzzards and Polecats among others; its cousin the Brown Hare is also introduced. Of our six species of deer four are introduced. Mandarins are introduced (I don't know the truth of it but at one time it was alleged that there were more Mandarins here than in their traditional range.) Canada Geese and many of our Greylags are introduced. Brown Rats hitch-hiked; so did the Common Voles on Orkney.

There is, periodically, a lot of fuss about invasive aliens, and we could do with more aggressive strategies for dealing with some of them: why are there not national programmes (as for Ruddy Duck) to annihilate the American Mink and Eastern Grey Squirrel is a very good question that nobody in power wants to address.

But otherwise, be careful what you wish for.

John

I'd like the non-native deer gone too. Seriously messing up woodlands.

 

[Farnboro John]

I'd like the non-native deer gone too. Seriously messing up woodlands.

I'd rather have some native predators back and let them sort it out between them.

John

 

[Himalaya]

Have they never been recorded at migration spots?

 

[Mysticete]

The capture option right now seems the best solution for all concerned, presumably all one needs is a ringer with equipment and a mobile phone.

John

What is the environment like around there recorded locations in Britain? Capturing/Culling them as an option doesn't work all that well if they are largely hanging out in suburban/urban environments, or on other private lands that generally are not amenable to control measures for a "pretty" bird that might seem harmless to many. That at least has been the situation for many exotics in the USA.

Although IF they are mostly found around human disturbed environments that might also suggest their actual threat to native species is minimal. not EVERY exotic is necessarily invasive, as some species really only do well in artificial or heavily modified environments or only barely sustain populations in the face of native competition.

 

[Farnboro John]

What is the environment like around there recorded locations in Britain? Capturing/Culling them as an option doesn't work all that well if they are largely hanging out in suburban/urban environments, or on other private lands that generally are not amenable to control measures for a "pretty" bird that might seem harmless to many. That at least has been the situation for many exotics in the USA.

Although IF they are mostly found around human disturbed environments that might also suggest their actual threat to native species is minimal. not EVERY exotic is necessarily invasive, as some species really only do well in artificial or heavily modified environments or only barely sustain populations in the face of native competition.

I'm assuming the numbers recorded of this vocal creature are a reasonable reflection of the current population so that effective action now is at least possible. In a sense almost all land in Britain is private but as much of it is farmland and much of that is at least shot over for pigeons gunfire is perhaps not too much of an issue. However I think that if the bird can be readily taped in then mist nets are a better answer, straight back into collections.

As for their threat to other species, even competition for nest space can be an issue with most of our birds in decline and humans increasingly tidying up the countryside to reduce risk to those invasive humans that mustn't be hurt ever by anything further reducing available options, so invasive bird species are not a great thing.

John

 

[Sangahyando]

Although IF they are mostly found around human disturbed environments that might also suggest their actual threat to native species is minimal. not EVERY exotic is necessarily invasive, as some species really only do well in artificial or heavily modified environments or only barely sustain populations in the face of native competition.

The problem I see with that argument is that Britain in general and England in particular are so densely populated that the urbanised environments and gardens actually occupy a significant amount of space compared to some other countries dealing with similar invasive species. I.e. there isn't as much room for the native species to retreat to.
That's why, while e.g. reintroducing the Lynx seems like an elegant solution (main prey base would be Rodeer and various invasive deer species, and it would keep the population of foxes and stray cats/dogs in check), it's probably doomed to fail in the more densely populated half of Britain simply because of the risk of traffic casualties and the many other risks involving man-made contraptions.