Question: Which bird species are considered invasive in North Carolina?
Answer: In North Carolina, invasive bird species include European starlings, house finches, house sparrows, and Eurasian collared doves. These non-native birds, not protected under state or federal laws, aggressively compete with natives for nesting sites and food, harming species like bluebirds, purple finches, and mourning doves. House finches also spread diseases such as house finch eye disease to other finches.
Bonus info: Two of these species—house finches and Eurasian collared doves—were introduced to the eastern U.S. as part of a crime, with pet sellers illegally releasing caged birds to evade prosecution for unlawful trade.
