Climate change and other human activities — such as the cage-bird trade and bird-feeding — may increase the likelihood that invasive bird species become established in new regions
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Red-billed Leiothrix (Leiothrix lutea). (Credit: Dibyendu Ash / CC BY-SA 3.0)
A recently published study has found that Britain may be under threat of invasion by a colorful songbird that ranges widely throughout subtropical Asia. According to a report by an international team of researchers, the red-billed Leiothrix, Leiothrix lutea, is already establishing itself in southern gardens and woodlands and thereby could pose a threat to Britain’s native bird populations.
According to the study, there were 16 reports on social media of red-billed Leiothrix in southern Britain between 2019 and 2022. Most of these sightings were reported in Wiltshire and Somerset, where establishment of this species is apparently already underway, although there were a few reports from south Wales, Merseyside, and Kent (Figure 2).
F I G U R E 2 : Records of 10 Red-billed Leiothrix sightings (black symbols) in the … [+]
Considering how secretive this songbird is, it is entirely possible that its current numbers and range are underestimated. Furthermore, it is widely considered to be among the most harmful avian invaders. It is argued that, if the red-billed Leiothrix becomes established in Britain, it could become as populous as the ring-necked parakeet, another invasive species whose numbers have rapidly increased since first becoming established in Britain in the 1970s, and thus, its presence could significantly change the public’s perception of native British wildlife.
“If the Red-billed Leiothrix becomes established in Britain, they could soon be a familiar sight in our gardens, parks and woodland, with their rich song altering the dawn chorus as we know it today”, said the lead author of the study, ecologist Richard Broughton, a Senior Research Associate at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Dr Broughton is an expert in British invasive species, particularly the grey squirrel and the red-billed Leiothrix.
The red-billed Leiothrix is beautiful, with an olive-green head and grey back and a contrasting bright red bill and flaming yellow-orange throat. Its song is loud and musical and listeners often compare it to the song of the native blackbird.
Red-billed Leiothrix are popular cage and aviary birds
The red-billed Leiothrix was commonly imported and bred in the UK until it was banned in 2005.
The red-billed Leiothrix is a colorful medium-sized songbird that is popular as an aviary bird in the cage-bird trade throughout much of the world. It is commonly known by a variety of names, including the Peking (or Pekin) nightingale, Peking robin, Japanese hill-robin or the Japanese nightingale. This secretive species is native to Southeast Asia, southern China, and the Himalayas of India, where it lurks, often unseen, in thick undergrowth in hill forests, jungles, and forest edges.
Due to its popularity as a caged songbird/aviary species, the red-billed Leiothrix has been deliberately introduced (or has escaped) into areas outside of its native range, including Japan, Hawaii, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, and the Mascarene island of Réunion. Red-billed Leoithrix are highly adaptable and can successfully exploit a variety of foraging niches, where it competes for resources with native bird species. It eats insects and fruits, and may possibly become a pest in orchards. In many places where red-billed Leiothrix currently live outside its natural range, it has become an abundant and dominant member of the local wild bird community.
A red-billed leiothrix (Leiothrix lutea) lurking in the shrubbery in an aviary at London Zoo. … [+]
The current runaway climate catastrophe is creating milder weather conditions in southern Britain that are increasingly hospitable to these subtropical songbirds. Additionally, the popularity of bird-feeders in British gardens provide these birds with a reliable food that could help it survive bad winters.
Although it is widely considered to be among the most harmful bird invaders, its occurrence in Europe, and especially in Britain, is still understudied.
“Our study is the very first assessment of this species in Britain, and raises awareness of the fact that the birds have been sighted in Britain”, Dr Broughton warned. “The potential for the Red-billed Leiothrix to become established here had seemed very low, but the cluster of records in southern England suggest we need to take it seriously as a potentially new invasive species.”
It is likely that red-billed leoithrix may compete with native birds, particularly robins and blackbirds, for habitat, living space and food, thereby potentially harming their populations, according to Dr Broughton. But it is difficult to know for certain what, if any, long-term effects their introduction into Britain might be without more intensive monitoring.
Dr Broughton encouraged Citizen Scientists and the public to report any and all sightings of this beautiful interloper on the British Trust for Ornithology’s BirdTrack App or on the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology’s iRecord app, both of which are available for free via Google Play and Apple’s App Store.
Source:
Richard K. Broughton, Samuele Ramellini, Marta Maziarz, and Pedro F. Pereira (2022). The Red-billed Leiothrix (Leiothrix lutea): a new invasive species for Britain? Ibis, the International Journal of Avian Science, ibi.13090 | doi:10.1111/ibi.13090
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