Invasive parakeets now 'unstoppable' as population size doubles in ten years

New figures show a steep rise in the population of parakeets now living wild in the UK, with experts warning of a “green invasion.”

Figures given to ITV News by the British Trust for Ornithology show “an astronomical rise,” which researchers have said is now “unstoppable”.

Originally from India and Pakistan, the ring-necked parakeets are officially “an invasive species,” but the emerald, green parakeet has thrived in cities from Plymouth to Aberdeen – reaching much of Wales and even parts of Northern Ireland.

This spring, tens of thousands of ring-necked parakeets are nesting in the UK – leading to concerns from some ecologists.

Multiple myths exist over how the parakeets first came to the UK. / Credit: ITV News

Viola Ross-Smith of the British Trust for Ornithology told ITV News: “It’s basically going up and up and up, it seems kind of unstoppable.

“Since 1995 we’ve seen an increase of more than 2000%.”

She added that the population has not only doubled in the last 10 years, but also went up by “almost a third in the last five years.”

In Belfast, some conservationists want all the birds to be trapped and put into captivity.

Parakeets compete with native birds such as starlings and sparrows for nesting holes and food. Conor McKinney, Chairman of Wild Belfast, told ITV News: “We could be looking at exclosures for instance. We could also be looking at mist netting.

“These are nets that are put up, they are practically invisible to birds and then we could collect them by hand.

“The opportunity is here, the time is ripe, we need to do something about these birds before it gets out of control.”

Many myths have grown surrounding how the parakeets got here.

Some believe the species became established in 1950 after birds were released from the jungle set of “The African Queen”, built in the London area.

Another theory is that the recording artist Jimi Hendrix released a pair in Carnaby Street in 1966.

Professor Tim Blackburn, an expert in invasive species from University College London, told ITV News: “There was a disease called Psittacosis, colloquially known as parrot flu.

“And it seems likely that this scare caused people who had parakeets as pets, or other parrots as pets, to let those parrots go.”

There is little evidence of damage from the parakeets, but experts say they are being carefully monitored amid fears they will spread into farming areas. Meanwhile, there’s no doubting their public popularity in gardens and parks across the UK.