Rose-ringed parakeets: From escaped pets to one of the most recognisable birds

Vibrant Parakeets on Branch (AI-generated image) Bright green, loud and unmistakable, rose-ringed parakeets have become one of the most recognisable birds in London's parks and gardens, despite having no natural historical presence anywhere in Britain. The species, native to parts of Africa and South Asia, was first confirmed breeding in the wild in Britain in 1969, with earlier isolated sightings recorded going back decades further. From that small initial toehold in the southeast of England, the population has grown into a firmly established feature of urban and suburban British bird life, now estimated in the tens of thousands and continuing to expand well beyond London into other parts of the country.When rose-ringed parakeets were actually first recorded in BritainAccording to research published in the Journal of Zoology titled Understanding the origins of the ring-necked parakeet in the UK, the earliest documented record of the species in Britain dates back to 1855 in Norfolk, though that particular population did not persist. A further isolated sighting was recorded in Epping Forest in Essex during the 1930s, but it was not until the 1960s that a genuinely self-sustaining br...