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How many escape species have you encountered over the years in your garden? (1 Viewer)

KenM

KenM

Well-known member
Over 47 years at two addresses (N.E.London), I've encountered four species, one at my first address (12 years), and three at my current (35 years). Be good to know if there is a mean average over the years, it appears that it's one every c12 years for me, wonder how it might compare to others?

Species encountered were a Cardinal species (?), a non Northern hemisphere finch species, a Harris Hawk and an Alexandrine Parakeet.

Whether it might be of any use as a comparison stat. against any putative extralimital vagrant claims possibly not, however it might function as a measure of sorts....dunno?

Obviously anybody living next door to, or in the immediate vicinity of a lax :eek!: bird importer might just skew the average, however fwiw I certainly can't lay claim to any such proximity.

Cheers
 
One in 15 years: Cockatiel.

However, at work, a Cockatiel and a Zebra Finch at one office, and a Steppe Eagle out of the window of another in Central London.

John
 
6 in 16 years in central Cambridge:
2 cockatiels, 1 budgie, 1 canary, 1 waxbill and 1 purple glossy starling

Mr.p
 
Don't know how many years Dave's Budgie represents?

However...Farnboro John's escapes change the dynamic slightly, substituting work place for garden, fair enough after all most of us have probably spent more time at work than garden, thus a reasonable comparison.

Mr.p is currently in the lead with c2.5 escapes per annum! (clearly central Cambridge...bit of a hot spot!) Andy with circa 1 every 6.5 years, with me not quite clutching the "wooden spoon" as Farnboro John's 1 in 15 yrs!

Don't know where this might end up, but it might throw up some regional preferences for the keeping of cagebirds.....keep em coming guys. :t:
 
One in 20 years, a Budgie.

But given the winters here, hardly surprising that escapes don't tend to do that well.


Actually, if I remember well, even away from my garden I have only ever seen two other escapes in all the time I have lived in Lithuania.
 
So far Budgies appear to be the most numerous (praps not surprising), although I'd have thought that compared to yesteryear (50's/60's) captive birds would have been much more numerous as escapes. Cambridge very much in the lead at present, although that could change, as I'd have thought that there might just be other areas with a not dissimilar yield or return.....?

Cheers
 
Three I can think of for me:

Budgie
Some kind of medium sized green parrot (too long ago to remember enough details to ID)
the local feral Harris Hawk that hangs out with the Red Kites flies over occassionally
 
Jos Stratford said:
One in 20 years, a Budgie.

But given the winters here, hardly surprising that escapes don't tend to do that well.


Actually, if I remember well, even away from my garden I have only ever seen two other escapes in all the time I have lived in Lithuania.
Click to expand...


Cockatiel in Russia two years ago so I'm winning the Russian list!



A
 
Nothing at current address (21 yrs) but previous address (still in Leicester 11 years) I had three budgies in a single "flock" for two days running. No idea where they came from or went to. Can only presume somebody left their aviary door open and then recaptured them.

Also I had a pair of mallard that belonged to a near neighbor wander into the front garden after they got out of their run (he kept them with chickens at the bottom of his garden.)

I presume that racing pigeons don't count.3:)
 
Paul Longland said:
Nothing at current address (21 yrs) but previous address (still in Leicester 11 years) I had three budgies in a single "flock" for two days running. No idea where they came from or went to. Can only presume somebody left their aviary door open and then recaptured them.
Click to expand...

I hadn’t bargained for a multiple occurrence record Paul...just goes to show how easy it is to lose presumed aviary “held” birds.

Budgerigars still in the lead! Thought that there might have been a greater diversity of species over a more diverse area so far...time might tell?
 
3 Cockatiels over the years, and one each Budgie and Canary nearby (within 1 km of home) - but that's it.

Edit - oh, and a Buteo (sp.), possibly Red-shouldered Hawk, high over once.
 
Had a Plum-headed Parakeet for a few weeks a little while back, some years back had a a pair of Senegal Parrots visiting the feeders then one disappeared but one came on + off for c18 months + have seen Harris Hawk from but not in the garden. At a previous address had a Yellow-fronted Canary for a few months coming to a feeder + seen at least a couple of flyover Cockatiels.
 
So far 11 Cockatiels, 10 Budgies and 2 Canaries (if my maths are right), must say I'm surprised at the ratios, thinking that Canaries would have been lying 2nd and Cockatiels not even in the first three! With a further 17 other species reported.

I'd have thought perhaps more seedeaters...Waxbills and the like, seeing as these would be presumably easier to keep than other species.....?
 
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Salford in the 80’s I had Diamond dove, 2 Zebra finches, a flyover falconers bird with jessies, and a parakeet sp. There were lots of aviaries in my area and I saw lots of escapes nearby (Silver Pheasant, Waxbill etc).

In London I’ve seen Alexandrine parakeet, an unidentified Parakeet and a budgie.
 
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