Risk analysis of the Vinous-throated Parrotbill in The Netherlands R. Lensink T.M. van der Have Consultants for environment & ecology Risk analysis of the Vinous-throated Parrotbill in The Netherlands R. Lensink T.M. van der Have Commissioned by: Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority Office for Risk Assessment and Research 30 September 2013 Report nr 13-029 Status: final report Report nr.: 13-029 Date of publication: 30 September 2013 Title: Risk analysis of the Vinous-throated Parrotbill in The Netherlands Foto omslag: Landscapes (R. Lensink), Vinous-throated Parrotbill (R. Schols) Authors: drs. ing. R. Lensink dr. T.M. van der Have Number of pages incl. appendices: 042 Project nr: 13-376 Project manager: drs. ing. R. Lensink Name & address client: Ministry of Economic Affairs, Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), Office for Risk Assessment and Research (BuRO), Postbus 43006, 3540 AA Utrecht Reference client: 29 October 2009, TRCPD 2009 3082 Signed for publication: Bureau Waardenburg bv drs. T.J. Boudewijn Teamleider vogelecologie Initials: Bureau Waardenburg bv is not liable for any resulting damage, nor for damage which results from applying results of work or other data obtained from Bureau Waardenburg bv; client indemnifies Bureau Waardenburg bv against third-party liability in relation to these applications. © Bureau Waardenburg bv / Ministry of Economic Affairs, Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA). This report is produced at the request of the client mentioned above and is his property. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted and/or publicized in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the client mentioned above and Bureau Waardenburg bv, nor may it without such a permission be used for any other purpose than for which it has been produced. The Quality Management System of Bureau Waardenburg bv has been certified by CERTIKED according to ISO 9001:2000. 2 Preface Around 1997 a species of Parrotbill Paradoxornis sp. seems to have bred in the south of the Netherlands. In recent years it became clear that after 15 years of nearly complete silence, these birds had continued to breed, had increased in number and had expanded their range. Furthermore, all available evidence pointed to one specific species: the Vinous-throated Parrotbill Paradoxornis webbianus. In its native distribution range this species inhabits a variety of habitats and is also elsewhere in the world known as a cage bird. In order to understand the success of this species and any possible ecological, economical and social impacts it causes, Office of risk-assessment and research (BuRO) has commissioned Bureau Waardenburg to carry out a risk analysis. This risk analysis was carried out by: drs. ing. R. Lensink project management and report; dr. T.M. van der Have report drs. T.J. Boudewijn internal check. drs. A.A.J. Smolders, BuRO (NVWA), supervised this study. The authors thank all who contributed. We want to thank the following foreign expert for providing information on the status of the Parrotbills in their country: Federice Luoni (Italy). 3 4 Table of contents Preface ........................................................................................................................................... 3! Table of contents ........................................................................................................................... 5! Summary ........................................................................................................................................ 7! Nederlandse samenvatting ............................................................................................................ 9! 1! Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 11! 1.1! Goals and terms of reference ................................................................................... 11! 1.2! Methods ................................................................................................................... 12! 1.3! Structure of the report .............................................................................................. 13! 2! Biology and ecology ............................................................................................................. 15! 2.1! Introduction .............................................................................................................. 15! 2.2! Biology and ecology in Asia ..................................................................................... 15! 2.2.1! Distribution ................................................................................................. 15! 2.2.2! Breeding biology ......................................................................................... 16! 2.2.3! Habitat, diet and feeding behaviour ........................................................... 18! 2.2.4! Predators, diseases and other causes of death ........................................... 18! 2.2.5! History as a pest species .............................................................................. 18! 3! Established introduced populations ..................................................................................... 19! 3.1! Italy ........................................................................................................................... 19! 3.1.1! Distribution ................................................................................................. 19! 3.1.2! Breeding biology ......................................................................................... 20! 3.1.3! Habitat, diet and feeding behaviour ........................................................... 20! 3.1.4! Interference ................................................................................................. 20! 3.2! The Netherlands ....................................................................................................... 20! 3.2.1! Distribution ................................................................................................. 20! 3.2.2! Population ................................................................................................... 22! 3.2.3! Breeding biology ......................................................................................... 22! 3.2.4! Habitat, diet and feeding behaviour ........................................................... 22! 3.3! Hong-Kong .............................................................................................................. 22! 3.3.1! Distribution ................................................................................................. 22! 4! Risk analysis .......................................................................................................................... 25! 4.1! Risk assessment ........................................................................................................ 25! 4.1.1! Probability of introduction .......................................................................... 25! 4.1.2.! Probability of establishment ....................................................................... 25! 4.1.3! Probability of spreading .............................................................................. 27! 5 4.1.4! Vulnerable areas ......................................................................................... 27! 4.1.5! Impact ......................................................................................................... 28! 4.2! Risk-assessment score by the Bomford and the ISEIA method ................................ 29! 4.2.1! Bomford method ........................................................................................ 29! 4.2.2! ISEIA method .............................................................................................. 30! 4.3! Risk management ..................................................................................................... 31! 4.3.1! Prevention .................................................................................................. 31! 4.3.2! Eradication in the wild ................................................................................ 32! 5! Conclusions ........................................................................................................................... 33! 6! Literature ............................................................................................................................... 35! Appendix 1 Risk analysis cf. Bomford Appendix 2 Risk analysis cf. ISEIA method Appendix 3 ISEIA method 6 Summary Parrotbills (Conostoma (1 species) and Paradoxornis (19 species)) are native to East Asia. Most of these species do have specific habitat requirements and live in small tranges. The Vinous-throated Parrotbill Paradoxornis webbianus is the one with the largest, natural geographical range stretching from Manchuria in the north to Vietnam in the south and inhabiting a variety of habitats (Del Hoyo et al. 2007). Around 1997 a species of Parrotbill Paradoxornis sp. was suspected to have bred in the south of the Netherland (Hustings et al. 2006). In recent years it became clear that after 15 years of absence of observations, these birds had continued