Representative image of invasive bird: Red-vented bulbul.
(C Suresh Kumar/TOI, BCCL, Chennai)
Alien birds are spreading across southeast Asia and could reach India—either due to escaping captivity or after being intentionally released, report researchers from the University College London (UCL). In a study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, researchers show how alien species such as the zebra dove are a threat to India, as the Himalayas are particularly prone to the spread of non-native birds.
Native in some of the Southeast Asian countries, the zebra dove (Geopelia Striata) has spread across the region. Now it has an alien population in Thailand and Laos, among other countries.
The study says once a bird has established itself as an alien species in a new region, living alongside native birds, it is most likely to continue spreading to other areas where those same native birds…
