The rise and rise of parakeets

We are surrounded by wildlife, even in large urban areas. Some species have adapted particularly well to living among humans, but not all of them are loved for it. I am going to write a bit about some of these species, starting with rose-ringed or ring-necked parakeets. The photo above was taken at Park Hill in March 2020.

Male rose-ringed parakeet, Nottingham, Oct 2019

Back in 2019, I spent a few days in Nottingham and visited the Arboretum, a park close to the city centre which has some aviaries containing exotic birds. I was amused to see and hear a bird in one of the aviaries that I'm used to encountering in the wild almost daily.

Parakeets, South Croydon, May 2020

I remember as a child, visiting somewhere in South West London, flocks of parakeets in the trees being pointed out to me. They had been in a few specific areas for decades. There are various theories about how these bright green birds from India got to be living in the wild here. 

Parakeets, South Croydon, May 2020

Then something happened and their population exploded. Prior to 2010, I don't recall seeing them around this part of South London. I do remember in the summer of 2011 a friend from Northern England thinking I was having him on when I told him we have parakeets here, until I managed to point some out in Regents Park. The earliest photo I have on Flickr of a London parakeet is from Morden Hall Park in November 2011.

These birds are present all over London in big flocks, spending the days eating in trees and flying together to roost in large trees in the late afternoons. They make an incredible amount of noise, even only one or two of them. I made the video below in September 2020 at Selsdon Wood and you can see just how many parakeets are in one tree. From about 14 seconds you can also hear their squawking, in case you're not familiar with it.

When I've travelled elsewhere, they've been conspicuous in their absence. They seem to have stuck to the large towns and cities and most are in the south east. When I was able to visit other areas I noticed how quiet it was without parakeets squawking away.

Male parakeet, Amsterdam, May 2015

On a visit to Amsterdam in 2015, I noticed that the same type of parakeets were abundant in the beautiful Vondelpark (not to be confused with Wandle Park!)

Female parakeet, Kensington Gardens, Oct 2018

I found parakeets in London's Kensington Gardens so tame that they landed on my head and hands without any invitation. Round here they tend to stay up in the trees but who knows - they may get bolder over time. They're intelligent and hardy and like other parrots, they have strong claws which they use to hang onto things. They are able to tolerate cold winters and snow, as their natural range includes the foothills of the Himalayas. In the photos below, taken in other parts of London, a parakeet has managed to fit its head into a bird feeder that's only meant to be used by much smaller birds, while a parakeet at London Wetland Centre in Barnes has managed to make itself reasonably comfortable on pigeon spikes.

Parakeets on a feeder, Holland Park, London, Jan 2020

London Wetland Centre, Barnes, March 2020

Their colours are so beautiful. The males have the pink ring on their necks which gives them their name, while the females are plain green. They nest in hollows in tree stumps so it's possible that their abundance causes problems for our native birds but there doesn't seem to be much conclusive data. You should be able to spot parakeets anywhere with mature trees, especially shortly before sunset. Look and listen out for them flying over in small groups or hanging out of holes in trees.

Parakeet pair, Shirley Oaks, Jan 2021