Fucking parrots in the morning omg

[BBno4]

They are so loud!
Where did all of these green parrots in London come from anyway?
There's so much in NW10 they are like pigeons

It’s the parakeets originally from Richmond park. They are spreading!

I’ve heard a couple of stories about how they came to be established in the UK - one is that Jimi Hendrix released some, another that some escaped when they were filming “The African Queen”. How true these are I don’t know!

We have a colony in south Manchester, and it has definitely got a lot bigger in the last couple of years. They are noisy little buggers, but not particularly in the early morning, so they must be lazier than the London ones. They aren’t a good thing though, the reason they’ve spread so much is that they’re very aggressive and drive the native birds away.

We have a couple of them in our small town in West Yorkshire. People kept seeing one and thinking it was an escaped pet. Then a pair of them were seen and people realised what they were. They are beautiful.

There's loads in Danson Park in Bexleyheath. Gorgeous but v disruptive.

They really need culling what with them being an invasive non native species

ah ha!

Missed that 😳

Sadly most of these are urban myths and unlikely to be true. I loved these and particularly wanted the one about the African Queen to be true but I don't think it is.

Someone's written a book about them, called The Parakeeting of London and explores this. It's a bit meandering and random on this but fun to read and its pretty clear that the myths are almost certainly untrue.

I love them, personally. I love bird noises. There's masses round me (SE London).

Yep we get them in our garden at the top of the high trees. They're very noisy!

Pretty though.

Parakeets. I first saw a colony in Richmond Park about 15 years ago. Seem to be all over now.

They’re all over the big cities in Europe as well, mainly released after people bought them as pretty pets but then couldn’t bear the noise. Apparently they build nests for up to 25 birds and all live together. Wikipedia says the nests have fallen and killed people in high winds! 😲

I came face to face with one once at the top of Severndroog Castle near Eltham.

There's a lot where I live as well OP but this year in particular I've noticed far more.

I first saw a few in Highbury Fields 2-3 years ago and now I hear them screeching all day long. I think their numbers have really increased.

They are pretty but a pest. We don't bother putting bird food out now because they descend and don't leave until its gone.

That bird was attacked by crows? Jesus, crows are nails aren’t they?

They're much less common in my bit of SW London this year. We are near a large common and have a pair of buzzards nearby so maybe that's why.

That's taken me right back, that has.

That's taken me right back, that has.

In a good way I hope? I love tramping round the park, my kids had such fun when they were little with the water bit in the play park.

me making friends a few years ago in Kensington Gardens near Hyde Park 😊

We never see any small birds now. Even our blackbirds have gone. Just seagulls, parakeets, pigeons, crows and magpies. I live just inside the M25. When we first came to live here we had sparrows, finches, wrens, thrushes, blackbirds, robins, woodpeckers. It is sad to see how much it has changed. The parakeets arrived about ten years ago and there are huge numbers.

I see crows ganging up on the red kites round near me.

Yes, I think it’s a bit of a problem. Apparently they are leading to woodpecker numbers declining around where I live. Not good for native birds.

🤣🤣🤣!

Aaaaw, I want some over my way. They are beautiful and worth being woken up for.

A swarm once flew over me and DS in Greenwich park - we were captivated! They are noisy though. Interestingly I also saw a lot in a park in Brussels this summer, so they’re everywhere!