Flight of the ring-necked parakeets

Ring-necked parakeets colonise suburban parks

source: Sharon Amos
Independent on Sunday Review February 23 2003 p27

The London Bird Project is run by the British Trust for Ornithology, and monitors birds in London's public spaces. Howard Vaughan, from the project, has counted 1,750 ring-necked parakeets in a cemetery in South London. The birds roost in poplars at the cemetery, but appear to nest in another location. They use holes to nest in, and prefer old holes that woodpeckers have left. They can be seen in Windsor Great Park, and Virginia Water during the daytime, and at feeders in gardens. There are many parrots in Richmond, as well as colonies in Surrey and Kent. Ring-necked parakeets can be bought as pets for some 100 pounds sterling. The feral parakeets have been seen since the 1960s, and there are an estimated 4,300 in the UK, according to the RSPB. Other feral parrots have been noted in the UK, but ring-necked parakeets are the most common.
BI,FR