Naturalised parrots have become a familiar feature of urban centres around the world, with some cities being home to multiple introduced species. In the UK, the distinctly irritating screeching of ring-necked parakeets is now commonplace.
We nearly had a second introduced species to contend with back in 2011: the monk parakeet. However, it was all but wiped out by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) before numbers got out of control.
- Watch incredible BBC footage of how tiny birds build spectacular domes – hanging fortresses that are an epic feat of engineering
- The craziest, weirdest bird beaks on the planet: Meet the most bizarre beaks in the world – where evolution let its imagination soar
Also known as the quaker parakeet, this species originally hails from temperate to subtropical areas of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. Deemed to be pests in their natal lands, wild populations of monk parakeets were subjected to unlimited exploitation by a burgeoning wild bird trade, with millions transported to homes worldwide since the 1960s.
As with the more familiar ring-necked parakeet, the eventual global feral populations of this species are down to escapees and deliberate small-scale releases.
Monk parakeets are still common within their natural range and continue to be regarded as major agricultural pests. Interestingly, it is their breeding habits that set them apart from all of the other 400-plus parrot species. They are the only members of the family to build their own nests. The structures are messy stick affairs, huge colonial nests with separate entrances for each pair, that are built in trees or atop human-made structures such as telegraph poles.
These parrot apartment blocks can sometimes be the size of a small car. Herein lies the problem. The nests are fire risks and local authorities are petrified of the nests collapsing and falling onto people below.
There are self-sustaining populations in cities across the world, from North America and Europe to South Korea and Japan. Their survival rates have increased from 61 per cent in their natal lands to upwards of 80 per cent in cities such as Madrid. They are much more likely to have successful second broods in their adoptive cities, laying up to eight eggs.
Then there’s the bird’s lifespan. In true parrot fashion, it is long-lived, with individuals sometimes popping their clogs well into their thirties.
Originally a woodland species, city living has obviously come naturally to this noisy bird. I have watched them busily scoffing fruit from street trees in Madrid and foraging for scraps alongside bemused pigeons. Indeed, it is Spain’s capital that has the biggest population of monk parakeets in Europe.
Originally introduced in the 1980s, the population was estimated to have grown to around 18,000 individuals in 2021, their numbers presumably bolstered by released birds when ownership of this species was banned in 2011. They certainly haven’t been greeted with smiles and cheers in the city.
In 2019, amid fears that their rapidly growing numbers were detrimental to native avifauna (especially house sparrows), and concern about the damage they caused due to the excessive stripping of vegetation for nests, the city council decided on a humane cull – initially via egg sterilisation. This led to fierce opposition from animal rights groups.
To date, the control campaign has met with limited success. So, it looks like this little South American squawker will continue to be a high-profile resident of Madrid, whether the locals like it or not.
Top image: a monk parakeet perches on branches outside its nest.
