Biosecurity Spotters logo

Red-whiskered bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus)

The red-whiskered bulbul is an introduced, established pest in parts of Australia, including Sydney and Melbourne. It can compete with native fruit-eating birds, damage soft-fruit crops and spread invasive plants through seeds in its droppings.

Key facts

Type: Pest animal, bird.

Native to: South and Southeast Asia.

Established in: QLD, NSW, VIC.

Other names: Crested bulbul.

Best time to act: Survey around fruiting trees during daylight, with extra attention in spring to summer, the reported breeding season.

Identification

  • A small, slim bird about 200 mm long, with brown upperparts and pale underparts.
  • Look for a prominent pointed black crest and a dark head with a white cheek patch and red patch behind the eye.
  • It has a red patch beneath the tail and a long dark tail with white tips.
  • It often moves in flocks between fruiting trees and gives lively, musical calls while foraging.
  • Look-alike: The red-vented bulbul is a possible lookalike; the red-whiskered bulbul has a prominent crest, white cheek patch and red patch behind the eye.

Where it lives

In Australia it is found around fruiting trees, gardens, parks, orchards and other places offering fruit and shelter, particularly in established populations around Sydney and Melbourne.

Why it matters

  • It competes with native frugivores for food and may reduce native bird diversity.
  • It can damage commercial soft-fruit crops, including strawberries, figs and stone fruit.
  • Seeds in its droppings can spread invasive plants such as privet and lantana into conservation areas.

How it spreads

  • Flocks move between fruiting trees, helping the birds use food resources across a landscape.
  • The birds disperse seeds in their droppings, including seeds of invasive plants such as privet and lantana.
  • Historically, introductions of the species have been associated with escaped or released captive birds.

Control methods

  • Protect crops with well-maintained fruit netting and reduce accessible food sources where practical.
  • Use only humane, approved bird-management methods, with capture or dispatch undertaken by suitably authorised operators where required.
  • Monitor treated sites and nearby fruiting trees, and repeat management as needed to check for returning birds.
  • Report sightings outside known established areas to the relevant state or territory biosecurity agency and follow its current advice.

Site hygiene and welfare

  • Before leaving an affected site, clean seed-bearing droppings and fallen fruit from vehicles and equipment, and avoid carrying fruit or plant material to other sites.
  • Use methods set out in the national model codes of practice and standard operating procedures for the species.
  • Coordinate control with neighbours and the local government biosecurity plan, as isolated effort is quickly undone by reinvasion.

Classification by state

  • Australia (national): No national listing. Managed under state and territory law.
  • Queensland: Not prohibited or restricted. Not listed as prohibited or restricted matter in Queensland. Everyone must also take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise its risks (the general biosecurity obligation).
  • New South Wales: General biosecurity duty. Not prohibited matter in NSW. The general biosecurity duty applies: anyone dealing with it must prevent, eliminate or minimise the risk it poses.
  • Victoria: Not declared. Not declared under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Other Victorian laws may still apply.
  • South Australia: Declared animal. Declared animals have legal restrictions, which can cover keeping, moving, selling and releasing them, and landowners may be required to control them.
  • Western Australia: Declared pest (C1), prohibited. C1 Exclusion: to be kept out of WA, or out of the parts of WA where it is not established. Report any sighting to DPIRD. It must not be brought into WA (prohibited organism).
  • Tasmania: Not a declared pest. Not a declared pest or prohibited matter in Tasmania. Importing animals is still controlled by Biosecurity Tasmania.
  • Northern Territory: Prohibited entrant. Wildlife that is not native to the NT is a prohibited entrant, so you need an NT permit to bring it in or keep it. Report any wild sighting to the NT Government.
  • Australian Capital Territory: Declared pest, notifiable, prohibited. It is a declared pest throughout the ACT. You must report it to ACT Biosecurity. Dealing with it, such as selling, moving or keeping it, is prohibited.

Legal obligations

Every state and territory places a duty on landholders and people working on land to prevent the spread of invasive species, such as the general biosecurity obligation in Queensland and the general biosecurity duty in New South Wales. Declarations and control requirements differ between states and local government areas, so check the current official list before work starts.

  • Queensland: Biosecurity Act 2014 (Qld), administered by Biosecurity Queensland (13 25 23)
  • New South Wales: Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW), administered by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • Victoria: Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (Vic), administered by Agriculture Victoria

Sources