Instead of pigeons – exotic birds. Great expansion in Europe
Just three decades ago, the sight of a green parrot flying over an English garden was rare. Today, experts say, the population of this "unnatural, exotic, green-feathered bird known for its shrill call" has increased significantly, especially in Essex. These parrots can be found snacking on flowers, searching for water in city ponds, or calling loudly from tall trees.
According to data from the British Trust for Ornithology, there are currently about 15,000 pairs of these birds living in the wild. However, their presence in Great Britain is not a new phenomenon. The first reports of the appearance of bright green parrots in villages date back to the end of the 19th century.
Jimi Hendrix and the movie set. Myths and the truth about the origin of parrots
There are many urban legends about how parrots came to live in the British Isles. One popular story claims that the birds escaped from the set of the 1951 film "The African Queen", while another attributes their presence to the famous rocker Jimi Hendrix, who allegedly released a pair of parrots on Carnaby Street in London. However, as experts emphasize, the reality is probably much more mundane. Most of the birds simply escaped from breeding farms or were deliberately released by their owners.
Over time, the parrots spread beyond London - they were seen, among others, in Peterborough and even as far north as Scotland.
Ring-necked Alexandretta in Poland. These are no longer isolated cases
One of the most common species of green parrots in Europe is the collared parakeet (Psittacula krameri). Its natural habitat is Central Africa and the Indian Peninsula. In Poland, this parrot appears both in the wild and in private breeding farms and zoos.
In 2018, the first successful breeding of this species was recorded in the south of the country, in Nysa (Opole Voivodeship). In the following years, Alexandrettas also appeared in other cities.
In April this year, an exceptionally colorful bird visited the Botanical Garden of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. "Today's guest at the Jagiellonian University Botanical Garden was an exceptionally colorful and exotic character - the ring-necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri). This green parrot, with a characteristic red beak and long tail, has been seen in the area for several days," the garden's representatives reported at the time.
Guest or intruder? What does the presence of parrots mean for Polish nature?
The increase in the number of parrots in Europe, especially in Great Britain and Poland, is a phenomenon that is getting stronger every year. Scientists and naturalists are observing this process closely, analyzing both its causes and possible effects on local ecosystems. For now, in Poland, ringed parakeets are not spreading as quickly as in Western countries, but their presence in cities and gardens is becoming more and more noticeable. According to the General Directorate for Environmental Protection, it is a moderately invasive alien species.
Time will tell what consequences their further expansion will have on the environment. One thing is certain - these colorful birds are already an inseparable element of urban nature in many corners of Europe.
