Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings collection
Date of this Version
March 1984
Abstract
Upon discovery in 1980 in the San Diego area of a feral population of Indian White-eyes (Zosterops palpebrosa palpebrosa), a prohibited species in California, an eradication program was begun by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). Mist-netting and shooting proved to be the most successful of the capture methods explored. After three and one-half seasons of retrieval effort and 330 birds taken, fewer than a dozen birds now have been detected in the wild. Within the remainder of the fiscal year, CDFA is conducting intense survey and retrieval. Whether eradication is feasible and applicable to other incipient infestations of exotic birds potentially detrimental to agriculture within the State is yet to be determined.