Reward for 'wanted' bird in Tauranga

The red-vented BulBul. Photo/File

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) continues to offer a $1,000 reward to Bay of Plenty residents who report sightings of an aggressive pest bird, the red-vented bulbul.

The Ministry was working in partnership with the Department of Conservation and local authorities to eradicate the red-vented bulbul bird, an introduced pest that's renowned for the damage it inflicts on fruit and vege crops.

MPI response manager Brad Chandler said it was not a bird they wanted in the Bay of Plenty with its extensive kiwifruit industry and other horticultural crops.

In addition, it competes aggressively with native birds for food and is known to chase and attack them, he said.

"A single red vented bulbul was found and removed near Te Puke last year and the person who reported it received the reward. We've also had an unverified report of a single bird being spotted near Katikati.

"Most recently we had what sounded like a very credible report of a sighting of two red vented bulbuls near Cameron Road and Queen Street in Te Puke. We have been scouring this area for further signs of the birds, but to date, none have come to light," Mr Chandler said.

"We are very keen to hear from anyone who believes they have seen one of these birds. We're taking this seriously and there's still a $1,000 reward on offer for information that leads directly to a successful removal by a member of our response team.

"If you think you've seen a red-vented bulbul, please report the sighting to 0800 80 99 66 - MPI's 24/7 Exotic Pest and Disease hotline. A good indication of location as well as a photo would be fantastic."

Red-vented bulbuls were a medium-sized bird around the size of a starling (20 cm in length - body and tail). They were generally dark brown/grey coloured with a lighter chest and rump, a small crest (upstanding feathers) on their head, and significantly, a very distinctive crimson-red patch of feathers beneath their tail.

"This red patch is the key identification feature," Brad Chandler says. "If people have seen a bird with these crimson-red feathers beneath the tail, we'd like to hear from them.

"I can't stress enough how much of a pest these birds are and how significant the threat they pose to horticulture, especially the kiwifruit industry. They may appear cute or novel, but they're anything but."

In recent years MPI has eliminated small populations of the bird from areas in Auckland.

Although red-vented bulbuls were established in Australia and on some Pacific islands, they were not likely to have flown to New Zealand but it was possible they have stowed away on large ocean-going vessels.