Green Parakeets in East Dulwich

[SteveT]

The rye park gym has them screeching about the place too.

[mlteenie]

It is illegal to plant a certain type (forget which) of rhodedendron in any part of the country because of its pervasiveness. However, I had a conversation with an RSPB chap in Dulwich park a few years ago about the parakeets and he said they cause no problems for indigenous birds.

see here

[SteveT]

I watched three pass over a roof where a group of 20 pigeons where resting as soon as the parakeets came into sight all the pigeons left the roof and flew upwards circled then came back to roost.

I watched this happen a number of times all the same sequences of a fly past and the rising up of pigeons, if they do not pose a threat why do pigeons treat them with such respect?

I am not too concerned about pigeons as I have no love for them either, but if the parakeets are causing them to move then they must somehow be a threat, as pigeons do not move from the roost in unison unless there is a need to do so.

[davidh]

we have four or five parakeets of both sexes feeding from the array of bird feeders in our incredibly lovely garden. a beautiful sight they are too

[The Minkey]

Same in my garden davidh - at times there are as many as 12 wobbling on the washing line - they seem equally at home hanging upside down. I have one of those not very attractive gardman type feeder poles which has hooks for feeders. The ends of the hooks are handy for impaling bits of apple - they do love a bit of fruit ;-)

"I watched this happen a number of times all the same sequences of a fly past and the rising up of pigeons, if they do not pose a threat why do pigeons treat them with such respect?". Steve: My first thought would be that the speed of the fly past might remind the pigeon of a sparrowhawk - a flock of sparrowhawks would be a pigeon's worst nightmare ;-)

[bandit]

Don't think they are causing much of a problem unlike indiginous magpies and crows which seem to be escalating in number.

Ask naturewatch or join in.

[wbrown]

I know parakeets are now a registered pest - due to food competition (not likely to be a problem on the rye) but in some parts of the country they are driving off smaller indigineous species.

As a side point comparing british birdsong to the noise parakeets make is like comparing mozart to the cheeky girls

[BrandNewGuy]

As I've mentioned on a different thread, there's scant evidence of parakeets 'bullying' other birds or winning out in food competition with indigenous species. The London Wildlife Trust opposes any 'cull', by saying that the parakeets are as 'British as curry' :-)

Open season on parakeets

There is evidence that they can cause damage to orchards and vineyards (as do a number of indigenous species), but existing arrangements for farmers and landowners can allow them to take action already.

Unfortunately, people often jump to conclusions about 'invader' species which aren't borne out by the evidence. Similarly, the British Trust for Ornithology has found no evidence that increased numbers of predator species (including corvids) are a cause of significant falls in prey species numbers - loss of habitat and other adverse environmental changes are nearly always to blame.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Great news - I have a vine in my garden, I shall be organising a shoot. Anyone up for beating?

[jimmy two times]

They may be a pest but It's very difficult to get rid of Parakeets because they won't Budgie.

[poppylucky]

Well i found out that in Australia they are treated as pests but largely left alone, same goes for the yellow-crested cockatoo and other parrots that are considered a nuisance there!.

I would swap lovely multi-colored parrots flying around for pigeons anyday...: )

[lance_elot]

I've just seen two of them Parakeets in my back garden! Hanging on my washing line upside down last night - they've been hanging around the neighbours garden too for the last few days - i wonder if they are choosing a nesting site?

[ianr]

Some appeared in a neighbouring garden, where there's a very fruity tree, earlier this week. Started off with one, quite noisy, at late breakfast and supper times, but a few companions turned up on subsequent days. Once done they tended to head off, with more squawking/mewing, for a more woody area. No sound of them for a few days now.

[The Minkey]

I should imagine it's a bit late in the year for nesting. They are more likely to be casing the joint for food.

[headphonauts]

ED BIRD NEWS UPDATE: Saw what looked like a kestrel eating a mouse in my neighbour's gone-to-seed garden the other morning.

[The Minkey]

It was most likely a Sparrowhawk. They are not shy about hunting in gardens.

[lance_elot]

Yes i saw a Sparrowhawk dive down onto some grass, not sure if it caught anything because it just flew off again. Theres loads of wildlife in my garden especially at night, foxes , hedgehogs, bats etc.

[Michael Palaeologus]

I saw a green parakeet eating a clown on Peckham Rye earlier this week.

I didnt mention it because I didnt think people would believe me.

[waynetta]

Where do these parakeets originate from? A friend recently told me that they originated from the Humphrey Bogart film The African Queen which was filmed at Pinewood. Apparently hundreds of them escaped from the set and started breeding. I wonder if this is true? I would like it to be.

[SteveT]

I believe The African Queen was shot on location so that Bogey could sober up in real life.

[Alec John Moore]

These responses to a Notes & Queries question in the Guardian suggests strongly they have been around for decades, although they may have migrated to SE London more recently.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-26170,00.html

[lance_elot]

Does anyone know if Budgerigars survive outside in the wild in our climate?

[bonniebird]

I wouldn't think so, never seen one myself, but who knows

[Melodyb]

I lived in Sunbury on Thames in the 70's & my father kept and bred these Green Parakeets along with other types of birds.

Yes they are very noisy, that's why he let them go!

[lance_elot]

Where do all these Parakeets go to in the depths of Winter?

I can't recall seeing any flying around during the cold months as they would be very conspicuous in the bare trees.