Ring Necked Parakeets (1 Viewer)

The Commodore · Nov 4, 2003

We've got at least one pair of Ring Necked Parakeets here in Turweston, north Bucks. I watched their noisy display flights in May and I hoped they might even nest in the large box I'd put in our big lime tree for Jackdaws. I saw the male near it once but it wasn't used.
I also saw a parakeet about a mile away, in Brackley, a few weeks ago.
I know they're spreading in the UK but does anyone know how far and wide? They're an exotic addition to English gardens but are they a pest in any way, and should we be encouraging them?

jpoyner · Nov 4, 2003

No...........I sense another culling debate on the horizon?

Michael Frankis · Nov 4, 2003

Check out this site - it has not been updated for a couple of years, but there's still plenty of useful info:
Project Parakeet

Michael

Hawkeye · Nov 5, 2003

On Sunday morning I had one in my garden in Sulby (Isle of Man),
it didn't have any rings on either.
Would this have been an escape or blown in on the strong winds we have had
recently.

Hawkeye · Nov 5, 2003

Picture of said bird

Elizabeth Bigg · Nov 5, 2003

I believe there is a large flock near a golf course in the Esher/Epsom area of Surrey. My sister-in-law has them in her garden (Cobham, Surrey).

Nightranger · Nov 5, 2003

I was discussing the topic of ring-necked (alt: rose-ringed) parakeets a few months ago with one of my colleagues. The parakeets could potentially be a problem and there is already evidence that they are displacing native birds in Surrey. However, other colonies (notably in Stockport) have established and then failed and this does not seem to be a weather issue. It is more than possible that the colonies are driven by food availability and this is good news (in a way) because there could be a totally humane solution to the problem. It would require a supreme effort in not putting out artificial food and cleaning up after markets but there may be no need for direct action. This would mean a failure to breed and the population would fall back naturally as individual birds died of natural causes. I am not sure how this would be greeted by some people but it is possible and would probably be more acceptable than a direct cull. If only this was possible with ruddy ducks...sigh!

CJW · Nov 5, 2003

Hawkeye said:
Would this have been an escape or blown in on the strong winds we have had
recently.

To my knowledge Hawkeye, there are non currently in captivity on the island (they've probably all escaped!), so unless it is actually speaking to you and running up and down your garden ladders, ringing bells, I'd tick it and forget it!

Nightranger · Nov 5, 2003

Hawkeye said:
On Sunday morning I had one in my garden in Sulby (Isle of Man),
it didn't have any rings on either.
Would this have been an escape or blown in on the strong winds we have had
recently.

Isle of Man birds may be remnants of the now defunked Stockport colony. Parakeets are long-lived birds and there are probably survivors from Monk parakeet, rose-ringed parakeet and Alexandrine parakeet colonies all over the British Isles.

Michael Frankis · Nov 5, 2003

Worth checking out this map at the Project Parakeet website:
http://users.ox.ac.uk/~wolf0977/england.html
Chris Butler reckons that all the ones away from the southeast / south coast(London, Margate, Studland) are local escapes, not established ('tickable') populations. So one on the IoM isn't really tickable :-O

Michael

PS Ian, I think you mean 'defunct'

Doug · Nov 5, 2003

I for one, would welcome having a colony in our area. I have seen them in London (Hampton Court) and was delighted. They are noisy, but no more so than gulls or corvids.

Nightranger · Nov 5, 2003

PS Ian, I think you mean 'defunct'

[/QUOTE]

Yep, I blame it on the slight hangover I have this morning due to winning the Battle of Britain last night. Mind you, defunked sounds better - it would be a definition of what Britney Spears becomes when she retires. Whoops, wrong birds! B

Joern Lehmhus · Nov 6, 2003

ringnecks, predation and concurrence

What about natural predation on ringnecked parakeets and concurrence with other species?
Is there literature available?

I noticed that squirrels who try to rob the nests or at least go near them are attacked; birds even aggregate to chase the squirrel away.

The small colony existing in Berlin was exterminated by a raptor, that took them at their roosting and sleeping tree; suspected was goshawk.

For Cologne it was found taht the resident peregrines also take them occasionally.

On three occasions I saw ringnecks confronted with passing sparrowhawk, the ringnecks immedeatly gave alarm calls when seeing the sparrowhawk and fled into cover, whereas I never saw any obvious reactions on passing Kestrel , Common Buzzard or Black crow.
Could a Sparrowhawk take a ringneck? My guess would be yes, at least a female Sparrowhawk could probably, judging from size relations and from the reactions of the Ringnecks.

And what about concurrence for breeding ressources?

Allthough the ringneck populations are increasing along the rhine in western Germany, at least in the area Cologne - Bonn the green Woodpecker, the Great spotted woodpecker and the Jackdaw numbers also have slight increases.

Ringnecks seem to prefer Platanus trees for breeding, which the other species rarely favour; second best seem to be hybrid poplar and big willows (Salix alba and babylonica).

How about that in the UK?

Edward · Nov 6, 2003

Ian Peters said:
Isle of Man birds may be remnants of the now defunked Stockport colony.

Interesting you should mention the Stockport colony, Ian. I thought I remembered seeing a Ring-necked Parakeet in Davenport Park, Stockport from the school bus when I was nobbut a lad but when it came to putting my life list together a few years ago it was rejected by the rarities committee inside my head as highly improbable. Have since seen them by the bucket load in Amsterdam. It's a good job I don't keep a UK list as I'd be in a crisis now.

Saw a Cockatiel in Reykjavík the other day. After weighing up the options I thought it was slightly more likely to be an escape than a lost member of the migratory south-west Queensland population overshooting the nearest water source.

E
PS Ian sounds like you're a Red. Good lad.

Ruby · Nov 6, 2003

Getting into the car this morning and became aware of an almighty racket.... turned out to be a Parakeet being chased round and round by a Wood Pigeon!

Remarkable for 2 reasons really...

1. You do get Parakeets round here from time to time, but they are still noteworthy - the main colonies are a bit north of here.

2. I've never seen a Wood Pigeon chase ]anything

Rgds... Ruby

Nightranger · Nov 6, 2003

Edward said:
Interesting you should mention the Stockport colony, Ian. I thought I remembered seeing a Ring-necked Parakeet in Davenport Park, Stockport from the school bus when I was nobbut a lad but when it came to putting my life list together a few years ago it was rejected by the rarities committee inside my head as highly improbable. Have since seen them by the bucket load in Amsterdam. It's a good job I don't keep a UK list as I'd be in a crisis now. QUOTE]

I am not sure where I saw the information but there was definitely a colony somewhere in the Stockport area. It does not surprise me that the record was not accepted because there is even doubt as to the status of the Surrey birds. Some people consider the Surrey colony to be (essentially) feral despite the fact that they are increasing. The British climate does not pose any real problems for parrots so it makes sense that breeding success is dictated by food supplies and that is where humans come into the picture. There have also been temporary colonies (or isolated breeding) of Monk and Alexandrine parakeets although none exist now to the best of my knowledge.

Pie Face · Nov 6, 2003

Doug said:
I for one, would welcome having a colony in our area. I have seen them in London (Hampton Court) and was delighted. They are noisy, but no more so than gulls or corvids.

You might be interested in these birds in Northeast Derbyshire then.

Joern Lehmhus · Nov 6, 2003

Hi M N

What tree are they breeding in? Horse chestnut?

Pie Face · Nov 6, 2003

Joern Lehmhus said:
Hi M N

What tree are they breeding in? Horse chestnut?

Yes If my memory serves me well it was a Horse Chestnut.

Mark

mcapper · Nov 6, 2003

Mark

Yes, it was Horse Chesnut. Do you know if these bird fledged young in the end?

Matthew

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