Red-vented bulbuls are infamous for being an economic burden to the horticultural industry. In Oahu, Hawaii, for example, they have an annual economic impact of $300,000, and they are being closely monitored in Hawaii so that they do not become established on any of its other islands. They are also suspected to displace some native birds where they have been introduced, but this apparently hasn't been well-studied.
Despite this, however, there have yet to be any efforts to do away with the Texas population. Instead, the population is being studied, and they apparently haven't been found to be a threat to native species. It seems that the possibility of them becoming an economic burden there is being ignored.
New Zealand is no exception when it comes to viewing red-vented bulbuls as being an unwelcome and unwanted species; several small populations have arisen in New Zealand, all probably derived from released or ship-assisted birds; the first arose in the early 1950s and was quickly eradicated, just as the other populations have been. The most recent population arose in 2013 and was eradicated before the following year ended. It is the MPI that deals with them.
Note how they say that kereru are particularly vulnerable to the aggression of the species, which I suspect is an allusion to the fact that they are regularly chased off by tui.
If the MPI found out about the fact that there has been no attempt to eradicate the population in Texas, I imagine that they would either think that the Texan authorities are utter morons, or would contact them and urge them to do something about it. Or both.
To me, any addition to NZ's avifauna is welcome, as long as it doesn't have a serious impact on any native species. Trying to convince the MPI to leave red-vented bulbuls alone, should they be seen here again, however, is out of the question.
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