Non-native/feral Species in your area (1 Viewer)

[Mark Grantham]

Most of the species mentioned are monitored by the Rare Breeding Birds Panel (http://www.rbbp.org.uk/). The panel perhaps don't get as many records as they'd like for many of these species, and it is quite important to properly record these birds and document any increases/decreases (record forms can be downloaded from the RBBP website).

Records submitted to BirdTrack (http://www.bto.org/birdtrack/) will also contribute to the work of the panel, and will also filter into the BTO's national Bird Atlas project. This will map the distribution of non-natives as well as our native species, and it'll be interesting to see how things have changed since the last Atlas.

Mark Grantham
British Trust for Ornithology

 

[Xenospiza]

In the Netherlands, additional exotics are House Crow (small self-introduced population; twitchable from the Harwich–Hoek van Holland ferry – one day one of these birds should follow its instincts and cross the North Sea), the pink trio of Greater (roseus), Caribbean (ruber) and Chilean Flamingo (chilensis) (wintering in the IJsselmeer and Delta areas, breeding in one bog just over the border in Germany), and Cackling Goose (B. hutchinsii minima) (not hard to find in winter). Black Swan is common locally.
Wood Duck, Upland (Magellan) Goose and Maned Duck seem likely new additions. Geese do well because the large amount of over-fertilised grassland makes survival easy...
Release of game birds is now forbidden, so Common Pheasant is decreasing and Red-legged Partridge (always rare) virtually gone.

 

[MarkHows]

Hi Mark, nice site, i have visited it before.

I notice a Muntjac (?) in one picture of the Lady A's Pheasant - yet another non native!B

I cant think of any established species you have missed, well done

I am trying for better ones of Muntjac, it was coming to the same feeder as the Lady A's.

Mark

 

[Clive Watson]

In Surrey we've got tons of Ring-necked Parakeets and Mandarins. I used to have to look for the parakeets at traditional sites like Wraysbury but now I can see flocks of a dozen or more flying over work, or hundreds in Bushy Park. Mandarins are easier than they used to be too.

(I'm ignoring Canada Geese - and Grey Squirrels - which of course are everyone's problem.)

 

[Perdix]

I am suprised nobody has mentioned Egyptian Goose, Golden Pheasant, Ruddy Duck etc??? Or are the latter two disappearing quietly, with or without help???

 

[jurek]

In Amsterdam area - ring-necked parakeet is now most visible bird.

Tons of domestic ducks, domestic geese, muscovies, egyptian geese and pheasant.

Strange are wild living chicken - apparently all junkies in NL are eco-consious.

 

[DavidP]

Gerbils on the isle of wight

http://www.egerbil.com/iow.html

never seen any myself

 

[MarkHows]

My trip report is dedicated to finding some of the Northern European Introduced birds

Sacred Ibis, Reeve’s Pheasant, Bobwhite, Red Billed Leiothrix, Rhea, Carribean Flamingo, Chilean Flamingo, House Crow.

Enjoy

http://www.hows.org.uk/inter/birds/euro/euro.htm

Mark

 

[James_Owen]

I am suprised nobody has mentioned Egyptian Goose, Golden Pheasant, Ruddy Duck etc??? Or are the latter two disappearing quietly, with or without help???

Loads of Ruddy about in my region. But yesterday I was talking to a chap who seemed to know his stuff, and he was quite indignant at the cull. He said that in the last year only 10 British Ruddies had been found in Spain, and 7 of those had been shot. The enormous majority are now happy to winter in the UK, and so only move locally.

Anybody know more?

 

[Steve Dudley]

Ruddy Duck appears to have declined as expected with the culling.

Golden Pheasant appears to be in decline and its going to be interesting to see if it hangs on or goes the way of Lady A's. Cettainly some once ace sites have bombed (e.g. Wayland Wood, Norfolk). For species such as pheasants, which can be quite long lived, it might not be too surpising that once established populations have disappeared due to the adult birds dying off and no young to replace them due to very low breeding productivity, habitat change (many Lady A and Golden P sites have changed markedly) and, importantly, no more releases to keep some populations 'topped up'.

 

[Capercaillie71]

For species such as pheasants, which can be quite long lived, it might not be too surpising that once established populations have disappeared due to the adult birds dying off and no young to replace them due to very low breeding productivity, habitat change (many Lady A and Golden P sites have changed markedly) and, importantly, no more releases to keep some populations 'topped up'.

The BTO estimates the UK breeding population of common pheasants at 1.7 million females, but 20 million are released each year for shooting. I wonder if the breeding population of common pheasants would also dwindle away if those releases stopped?

 

[Perdix]

The BTO estimates the UK breeding population of common pheasants at 1.7 million females, but 20 million are released each year for shooting. I wonder if the breeding population of common pheasants would also dwindle away if those releases stopped?

Although pheasant releases undoubtedly keep populations at a high level, it is certainly possible to have a productive pheasant shoot relying on wild (or feral, or whatever you want to call them) pheasants. These birds are maintained by culling of crows, foxes etc, more careful habitat management and not over-shooting. However, as Capercaillie says, the numbers of pheasants would be seriously hit by releases ceasing - as has happened in the Netherlands.

Regarding Goldens/LA Pheasants, however, i think their decline is largely due to destruction of habitat - rhodedendron clearence, for example.

 

[Nick Elliston]

There is a lake fairly close to me and I regularly see Egyptian Geese flying over my garden. Not common, but usually seen each month.

 

[canadagurl123]

skylarks,European Starling, California Quail, Ring necked Pheasant, Rock Pigeon, Eurasian Collared Dove, House Sparrow all are not native to my area.