The Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus in Australia – a global perspective, history of introduction, current status and potential impacts

Abstract

The Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus naturally occurs from the Indian subcontinent to the northern Malay Peninsula. Its anthropogenic spread also encompasses Australia, Japan, the southern Malay Peninsula, Singapore, Florida, California, 11 islands in the Indian Ocean, and Oahu, Hawaii. The earliest known introduction occurred in Sydney in 1865, with subsequent releases in the 1900's leading to establishment. It was first released in Melbourne, Victoria in 1915, with a population establishing in the late 1950's. Sightings have been reported in Coffs Harbour since 1972, forming a population in the Northern Rivers region. There has also been a small population in Mackay, Queensland since 1983. Redwhiskered Bulbuls had been recorded in South Australia between the 1940's and 1980's, but did not proliferate and are no longer present. The main ecological impact identified is the dispersal of exotic weeds, although evidence in Australia remains anecdotal. There has also been preliminary evidence of interspecific competition on islands and predation of nestlings. While aesthetically appreciated and a predator of some invertebrate pests, it causes crop failure in soft-fruit and citrus orchards and damage to garden plants. Impacts should be further investigated to justify management directions. Eradication in Australia may be achievable due to populations being mostly restricted to settled areas.

An Evaluation of the Impacts of Alien Species on Biodiversity in South Africa Using Different Assessment Methods

“…The country's terrestrial vegetation types can be broadly grouped into nine biomes that range from deserts and Mediterraneanclimate shrublands (fynbos) in the west to grasslands and savanna in the eastern interior, and evergreen forests in high rainfall areas along the east coast (Mucina and Rutherford 2006). Three areas within these biomes-the Cape Floristic Region, the Succulent Karoo, and the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany region-have been designated global biodiversity hotspots (Myers et al 2000;Mittermeier et al 2004). The marine realm includes several ecosystems in the surrounding Indian and Atlantic oceans and offshore islands (van Wilgen et al 2020a, Chap.…”

Population increase of the invasive red–whiskered bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus in Valencia, Spain

“…They are therefore conspicuous and easy to detect, and the red-whiskered bulbul is no exception. In studies about this species as an invader, its presence is usually identified by sightings or by their song (Carleton and Owre, 1975;Mandon-Dalger et al, 1999;Mo, 2015).…”

“…It is also known to venture into areas of native vegetation, and can even establish in these areas. This behaviour has been observed both on islands such as Réunion and Mauritius, and in continents, such as Australia (Mandon-Dalger et al, 1999;Linnebjerg et al, 2009Linnebjerg et al, , 2010Mo, 2015). It seems to prefer lowlands and areas with plentiful resources due to alien plant species (Forys and Allen, 1999;Mandon-Dalger et al, 1999;Clergeau and Mandon-Dalger, 2001;Linnebjerg et al, 2009Linnebjerg et al, , 2010.…”

“…It seems to prefer lowlands and areas with plentiful resources due to alien plant species (Forys and Allen, 1999;Mandon-Dalger et al, 1999;Clergeau and Mandon-Dalger, 2001;Linnebjerg et al, 2009Linnebjerg et al, , 2010. However, it is not limited to such areas and has been found at high altitudes on Réunion (Mandon-Dalger et al, 1999;Clergeau and Mandon-Dalger, 2001) and in native arid habitats of Australia (Mo, 2015).…”

“…Martin-Albarracin et al, 2015) have classified it as one of the species with the strongest local and global impact. Moreover, the red-whiskered bulbul is considered an agricultural pest for fruit trees in many countries (Carleton and Owre, 1975;van Riper et al, 1979;Mo, 2015). Other threats to native biodiversity are its competition with native and endangered birds species, including other bulbul species (Owre, 1973;Diamond, 1987;Sankaran, 1998;Lever, 2010), predation on native arthropods and reptiles (Diamond, 1987;Lever, 2010), predation on eggs of passerine species (Cheke, 1987;Roberts, 1988;Thibault et al, 2002), and its possible role as a reservoir for malaria (Shehata et al, 2001).…”