Red-whiskered bulbul: Canberrans asked to be on the lookout for a feral bird species

Posted yesterday at 9:09pm

It may look cute, but the feral red-whiskered bulbul poses a serious threat to Australia's native plants and wildlife - and the discovery of the bird in Canberra has authorities worried.

One of the pest bird species, native in parts of Asia, was caught this month by a resident of Campbell in Canberra's north.

ACT Parks and Conservation Service director Daniel Iglesias said the bird was a prohibited and notifiable pest species, that posed a "serious threat" to the Australian environment.

The bird is typically brown with a white neck, a distinctive red cheek patch and pointed black crest on its head.

The song is a scolding chatter and the call sounds like a sharp "kink-a-joo".

"It has established in Sydney and Melbourne with some isolated populations on the North coast of NSW and areas of Queensland," Mr Iglesias said.

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