[Andy Bright]

Coincidence or what? Only added to a thread on Parrots in London earlier in the day and within an hour or so this mystery bird appears in the trees a few gardens down from me.

Not R-N nor Monk... any ideas? Clearly a local escapee.
Sorry about pics, long way off, obscured and dark... not a happy combination.

Andy

[Andy Bright]

Another pic showing more red on the crown.

[new 2 this]

No idea what it is Andybrightuk, but it definetly looks like a domestic bird, did it come near your house to feed on seeds?

Having owned lots of domestic birds in the past (childhood), I can say that the only way to catch it is to lure it with food, unless it is in a confined space like a home. We lost a lovebird when I was young it slipped out an open window, I forgot he was out of his cage. A friend had a budgie just fly into her house that was obviously an escapee, lastly my mum had a ring neck parrot that escaped and we heard of a sighting and got him back, long story but with help of friends he was captured, he was in a cherry tree indulging a lot. He was so depressed when back home that he pulled out all his feathers, and died within the year, he was pinning for his freedom. Must say that bird in your photo looked happy, lets hope he flies safely into someones home and doesn't get depressed at his lack of freedom.

Let us know if you see any more of him, makes you wish people would leave the birds in the wild where they belong.

Teresa

[KCFoggin]

Neat Andy! Looks to be the Red-crowned parrot.
"12" (30cm) Large, with red crown, blue nape in first year, red wing panels. Established in many southern cities from introductions."

[cjay]

is it a Peach faced Love Bird?

[Osprey]

Originally posted by KCFoggin
Neat Andy! Looks to be the Red-crowned parrot.
"12" (30cm) Large, with red crown, blue nape in first year, red wing panels. Established in many southern cities from introductions."

Are we Talking UK?

or USA.

Confused

Osprey

[ralph]

We're talking UK Osprey! Watford (or thereabouts).

[KCFoggin]

The guide was non specific as to where, it was just listed on escaped parrots/parakeets

[T0ny]

Originally posted by Andybrightuk
Coincidence or what? Only added to a thread on Parrots in London earlier in the day and within an hour or so this mystery bird appears in the trees a few gardens down from me.

Andy

Since Andy's message states where he saw the Parrot, and his ID panel gives his location as Watford, it seems fair to surmise that that is where he saw the bird, as Ralph suggests.
My own suggestion of the ID is an Australian species, 'Double-eyed Fig-parrot' (no, don't laugh !). It's the only one I can find in my admittedly limited selection of non-UK guides which shows the yellow edging to the wings and the relatively short tail.

Tony

[Andy Bright]

Thanks everyone.... I've had a good look through guides on India/Pakistan/Sri lanka and Australia (as well as U.S. and Europe for escapee type birds) and none of them really fitted my bird too well.
Not sure about a Love Bird

Tony: I saw Double-eyed Fig Parrot but dismissed it because my bird was larger and did have a long tail (why I dismissed all Lorikeets)
Some form of Rosella? The red spot behind the eye is the confusing factor.

K.C. I saw Red-Crowned Parrot.... but like other genuine Parrots, the tail was too short for my bird.

Pity I didn't have any of my apples hanging up. perhaps I'll get an i.d. when I look in the 'lost column' of my local paper?
Regards,
Andy

[KCFoggin]

K.C. I saw Red-Crowned Parrot.... but like other genuine Parrots, the tail was too short for my bird.

Unfortunately the guide I was looking at only gave head shots of the various escaped into wild birds. I do hope he is warm and well fed.

[bluebwatchNC]

As K.C. said,it looks like a red-crowned parakeet. I once caught a pet love-bird that escaped, by putting a cage outside,with food inside,and put a little food outside the door. When the bird went into the cage I went out and it climbed to the top of the cage,and I closed the door and had the bird. Pet birds usually do not live long outside,especially in colder regions. They are naive to what preditors to look out for also. They are best off living indoors where they belong. Being outdoors, without food and water is very stressful to them, and have a tendency to become skittish around humans the longer they are out. Sometimes it takes a lot of patience and love to get them friendly,and trusting again.

[jeff]

I'd guess at Red-fronted Parakeet Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae

[dylan]

You've obviously found something unusual Andy, my recent mystery Parrot was identified here by knowledgable members in a matter of minutes!

[new 2 this]

I agree it looks like Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae according to the pictures on 'Google + Images'. the red above the beak matches and the red next to the eye. I wouldn't worry too much about wing length as it may have had it's wings clipped and they just grew out which could explain his escape...unfortunately the wings can grow back faster than people realize, so the owner may have thought the bird unable to fly (flutter yes, but not fly steadily)and been sloppy with security.

I like the idea about the cage and food and agree the sooner this bird gets out of the elements & other dangers the better. Any sightings today? It was very cold here, M'cr last night, hope it was milder down there, very, very fresh this am too.

[Andy Bright]

Yep, that looks like the bird... Red-Fronted Parakeet. Thanks everyone... mystery solved.
No sightings, but I've not been around to see. Cold down here but no frost... hopefully it's made it's way back home, it gave the impression that it was wanting to stay in the vicinity, so maybe 'home' was in my street.
I would presume a bird of N.Z. origin would be fairly hardy against the cold, though obviously not accustomed to facing predators or having to find suitable food.
Regards,
Andy

[new 2 this]

link on info for the Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae :-

http://www.nzbirds.com/Kakariki.html

[new 2 this]

Glad to read that it should be hardy and used to the cold, I'm sure instinct would come into play if he got into bother with another bird, but cats would be another story.

I didn't know about the weather/temperatures in N.Z., that goes in his favour. Do you realize if this bird survived in the wild here they could become a pest eventually, though it would have to breed, now I know I'm going to sound very green, but do different bird species inter breed, my guess would be yes, but I havn't a clue, nice looking pest eh! I'll have some in my garden please...and tame too...

[Wingwatcher]

Andy, I keep this website in my favorites folder. www.arndt-verlag.com . Scroll to bottom and click Australian Parakeets. Check out Red-fronted Parakeet.

[Osprey]

Originally posted by TonyK
I've read about hybridisation between Pheasants and Capercaillies which until recently weren't even placed in the same family! Perhaps our definition of 'species' is hopelessly outdated....

That's new? Where did you read it? If you did

Osprey

[Mugil]

Andy, it was difficult to see all details, but I think that is a Red-Fronted Parakeet.