6 May 2021 | By Dorette du Plessis
A new book co-edited by C∙I∙B Core Team Member, Prof Colleen Downs (University of KwaZulu-Natal), together with Dr Lorinda Hart (University of Namibia), is the first to give a comprehensive overview of invasive bird species and their management.
The book, titled Invasive Birds: Global Trends and Impacts, consists of three parts, with the first part focussing on the current invasive status of 32 global invasive bird species (as listed by the Invasive Species Specialist Group), including a physical description, diet, introduction and invasive pathways, breeding behaviour, and natural habitat.
The second part of the book describes the biogeographical aspects of bird invasions, and the third considers the impact of invasive bird species on native communities, the problems associated with invasive bird management and control, and the use of citizen science in the study of invasive birds.
With 45 chapters and contributions from more than 80 authors, the book was developed with various end-users in mind, ranging from researchers, students, conservation managers, government officials, and risk assessors.
“We hope that this book will serve as a basis for further studies and the development of management protocols by providing examples of available and missing data for a growing body of information on globally invasive bird species,” says Prof Colleen Downs.
The book was published by the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) and is available to buy in hardback and electronic formats from the CABI Bookshop or via Amazon.
More about the editors
Prof Colleen Downs
Prof Colleen Downs is Professor and SARChI Research Chair in Ecosystem Health and Biodiversity at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Her research interests are broad and multidisciplinary, focussing on terrestrial vertebrates, their conservation, ecology, physiology, and behaviour with changing land use. Prof Downs is also a Core Team Member of the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology (C∙I∙B).
Dr Lorinda Hart
Dr Lorinda Hart is a lecturer at the University of Namibia and an Honorary Researcher at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Her research interests are broad, covering ecophysiology, and urban and invasive ecology. She is currently involved in several projects examining a range of species including fruit bats, birds of prey, woolly-necked storks, and a variety of seabirds from the Seychelles. She is also an invasive species consultant with the South African Green Industries Council (SAGIC).
