RAINYRAMBLES
Curbing invasive animal
species can help restore
delicate local ecosystems
BY REBECCA LEXA
In my last two columns, I outlined the
issue of invasive plant species and their
disastrous effects on local ecosystems,
including some common invasive plants
found in the Columbia-Pacific region. In
this next installment, I’ll cover some local
invasive animal species.
Some animals are considered inva-
sive when they are introduced to ecosys-
tems that they haven’t evolved in along
with other species. Sometimes these ani-
mals have moved from different continents,
and because they are ecosystem newcom-
ers, there often aren’t any predatory species
that can keep them in check. Moreover, if
an invasive species once occupied a partic-
ular ecological role, or niche, where it pre-
viously lived, it may hijack a similar niche
filled by a native species after moving.
One local example of this can be found
in the Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia
decaocto), which entered the United States
a few decades ago when a pet shop released
50 captive doves. While this species looks
similar to the mourning dove (Zenaida mac-
roura), it is larger and has a dark band on
the back of its neck that gives it its name. It
competes with native birds like the mourn-
ing dove for food and nesting sites, and in
some places may push them out entirely.
The European starling (Sturnus vul-
garis) is another well-known invasive spe-
cies. This small bird can be easily distin-
guished by its dark, iridescent feathers,
which are coupled with pale spots. The
starling was first introduced to New York’s
Central Park in the 1890s by a group that
See Page 7
Don Henise
The American bullfrog can be found throughout Oregon.
The Eurasian collared dove is often mistaken for similar looking native species, such as the
mourning dove.
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