Reward still stands for reports of wanted bird

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.

MPI is working in partnership with the Department of Conservation and local authorities to eradicate the bird, an introduced pest that’s renowned for the damage it inflicts on fruit and vegetable crops.
With our extensive kiwifruit industry and other horticultural crops, this is not a bird we want in the Bay of Plenty.

A single red vented bulbul was found and removed near Te Puke last year and the person who reported it received the reward – which is $1,000 for information that leads directly to a successful removal by a member of the MPI response team.

If you think you’ve seen a red-vented bulbul, please report the sighting to MPI on 0800 80 99 66 with an indication of location as well as a photo if possible.

Red-vented bulbuls are a medium-sized bird around the size of a starling (20 cm in length – body and tail). They are 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.

In recent years, small populations of the bird have been eradicated from areas in Auckland. Although they are established in Australia and on some Pacific islands, they are not likely to have flown to New Zealand but it's possible they have stowed away on large ocean-going vessels.