Introduced birds of Saudi Arabia: Status and potential impacts

Journal of King Saud University: Science

Faisal Hajwal¹  Mohamed Alzayer²  Mohammed Alshamlih³  Fares Khoury⁴  May Khalili⁵ 

[1] Corresponding author at: Ecology and Environmental Biology of Arabian Gulf and Desert Unit, Basic and Applied Scientific Research Center, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.;Ecology and Environmental Biology of Arabian Gulf and Desert Unit, Basic and Applied Scientific Research Center, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia;Biology Department, College of Science, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia;Birds Monitoring Group, Dammam, Saudi Arabia;Department of Enviromental Health, College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University;

关键词: Biological invasion;    Exotic species;    Pet trade;    Arabian Peninsula;    Range expansion;   

DOI  :  

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Introduced species can have devastating impacts on the environment and economy in non-native ranges. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, published knowledge of introduced fauna or flora is very limited, although this knowledge is basic for their management. Thus, this research provides the very first detailed list of invasive bird species in the Kingdom based on intensive field work, citizen science and published literature. The introduced bird community in the Kingdom consists of 21 species, many of which are widely spread across the Kingdom. Distribution of introduced species varies among provinces; the highest numbers are recorded in Riyadh and Eastern Province with 18 species each, representing 9 and 10 families, respectively. A few of the reported species are linked with devastating ecological and economic impacts in introductions that took place elsewhere, such as Indian House Crow, Common Myna, and Red-vented bulbul. Harvest of wild birds for the purpose of pet trade caused the introduction of three known natives of the highlands in the south-west region into the deserts of the Central and Eastern region. It is evident that the Kingdom harbors many introduced species that are invasive and are known of having a wide range of impacts, necessitating further studies to provide management insights. Management actions directed by these scientific findings is crucially needed to prevent future introductions and contain previously established ones.

【 授权许可】

Unknown