Comment: Alien invaders attack!

I visited the Pyrenees with my family, and found a new species. It was the red-billed leiothrix – or Pekin Robin – from south-east Asia. It is a shy thrush-sized bird with scarlet bill, greenish back, blue tail, yellow underparts and a rosy breast.

SIGNIFICANT RISK

The song is somewhere between a nightingale and a blackbird. It added a splash of colour to a late summer day. This species was released from cages in north-east Spain in 1990, and has since naturalised in river valleys in the Pyrenean mountains. According to recent university surveys, they don’t appear to be having any negative impact on French wildlife. They add to the sound and spectacle of the mountains. So good news, then!

Not so fast! The second UK record of Asian hornet has been confirmed, from a smallholding in Somerset. This species has had a profound impact on honey bee populations across France – and has arrived as a direct result of climate change. Unlike their European counterparts which eat individual bees without substantial impacts on hives – and tend to forage alone – Asian hornets will work together, wiping out entire bee colonies. The risk to our country is significant.

CHANGING WILDLIFE

That’s the challenge of invasive species. As our climate shifts, many species that wouldn’t have survived the winter are thriving. Some have arrived naturally, others through garden centres or boats and cars. The UK’s wildlife is changing fast. Common species are now rare, rare species are now common. Some new species are welcome, others are not.

As a Christian conservation charity, we recognise that everything in this world is the Lord’s. It’s all precious in his sight. But occasionally we’re called to manage some situations that result from our changing climate. A UK without the Asian hornet is critical if our native bees are to thrive. (Text: Conservation Director Andy Lester/Photo: Joe Carey (joecarey@gmail.com) at en.wikipedia)