The Parakeets of London

[douglas9]

The Greater London area is home to thousands of parakeets. The population of feral ring-necked parakeets has grown from hundreds back in the 1980s to more than 30,000 according to the last count in 2012. The birds, native to Africa and India, are generalist feeders and seem to be well adapted to the urban settings and colder climate of southern England. The origins of the London parakeet population remain a bit mysterious, and a few popular theories exist—that Jimi Hendrix released a mating pair in the 1960s, for example, or that a flock escaped from a set during the filming of the Humphrey Bogart movie The African Queen, or possibly that a storm damaged several aviaries in the 1980s. The parakeet’s impact on local species is still not fully understood, and studies are ongoing.

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https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2021/04/photos-the-parakeets-of-london/618729/

[Siwsan]

1. I've recently been seeing a blue parakeet at my bird feeder, in Michigan

I've been watching these feeders for years, and never seen anything but your everyday average Michigan birds. Lots of sparrows, nuthatches, cardinals, blue jays, etc. At first I thought it was a fluke, but I've seen it 3 out of the past 4 afternoons.

[mopinko]

4. i'm surprised they dont get a foothold.

guess we've messed w them so much, they cant survive like their ancestors.
here we have monk parakeets.

also purple finches. escaped from the pet trade. darling lil buggers. compete w the european sparrows, so...

[secondwind]

2. beautiful photos!

[Karadeniz]

3. Lovely birds!

[csziggy]

5. Nanday Parakeets have established colonies across the US

Recognized by its black head (and formerly called Black-hooded Parakeet), this species was originally found in the central interior of South America, from southern Brazil to northern Argentina. It has been popular in the cage bird trade, and Nanday Parakeets escaped from captivity have established large feral populations around Los Angeles, in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, and along Florida’s southeastern coast. Smaller numbers are seen elsewhere, including other parts of Florida and near Phoenix, Arizona.



https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/nanday-parakeet

Monk parakeets are also very common in parts of Florida.

Inevitably, there were escapes; the birds found North America's suburban parks, golf courses, and lawns to their liking, and it wasn't long before feral colonies became established, even in cold northern cities like New York and Chicago (in their native South America they often live in the Andes foothills, and are thus adapted to tolerate colder temperatures than most parrots can stand). In the American south, the Monks are able to make a living from fruit trees and shrubs; in the north, they depend on human birdfeeders to get through the winter.



The USFWS made a brief attempt to eradicate the non-natives and was temporarily successful in removing colonies in California, but it soon became apparent that the effort was futile. Within a few years, Monk Parakeet colonies could be found in New York, Connecticut, Illinois, California, Texas, Louisiana, Oregon, New Jersey, and Alabama. The first nesting colonies were seen in Florida in 1969. Today, there are established populations in over 50 counties, including Tampa, St Petersburg, Jacksonville, Bradenton, Ft Lauderdale, Miami, and Boca Raton. Flocks of the bright green birds can often be seen flying overhead or covering lawns looking for seeds and bugs. The parrots keep in contact with each other through constant screeches and squawks, and flocks can usually be heard from quite a distance away. A number of individuals serve as sentinels, watching out for hawks or other dangers.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/12/31/1583700/-Florida-s-Invaders-The-Monk-Parakeet

[Harker]

6. Polly want a savory biscuit. n/t