JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<h1>
Override a jQuery Method
</h1>
 
<p>
    <input id="birds" />
</p>

JavaScript

// Create a closure so that we can define intermediary
// method pointers that don't collide with other items
// in the global name space.


function monkeyPatchAutocomplete() {

    // don't really need this, but in case I did, I could store it and chain 
    var oldFn = $.ui.autocomplete.prototype._renderItem;
    var requestIndex = 0;
    $.ui.autocomplete.prototype._initSource = function() {
        // whatever
        console.log("Override method");
        var self = this,
            array, url;
        if ($.isArray(this.options.source)) {
            array = this.options.source;
            this.source = function(request, response) {
                response($.ui.autocomplete.filter(array, request.term));
            };
        } else if (typeof this.options.source === "string") {
            url = this.options.source;
            this.source = function(request, response) {
                if (self.xhr) {
                    self.xhr.abort();
                }
                self.xhr = $.ajax({
                    url: url,
                    data: request,
                    dataType: "json",
                    autocompleteRequest: ++requestIndex,
                    success: function(data, status) {
                        console.log("Override success function, handling request");
                        if (this.autocompleteRequest === requestIndex) {
                            response(data);
                        }
                    },
                    error: function() {
                        console.log("Override error function, handling request");
                        if (this.autocompleteRequest === requestIndex) {
                            response([]);
                        }
                    }
                });
            };
        } else {
            this.source = this.options.source;
        }
    };
}


// When DOM is ready, initialize.
$(document).ready(function() {
    monkeyPatchAutocomplete();

   ...