London Ring-Necked Parakeets
Tens of thousands of feral ring-necked parakeets roosting across south-east London have prompted a government consultation on adding the exotic birds to the official quarry list for sport shooting, The Guardian reported. The parakeets have expanded their range across Britain over the past half century, establishing a wild population estimated at roughly 50,000 individuals.
The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) put forward 24 bird species for the quarry list in March. The proposed change would allow anyone with a gun and a landowner’s permission to shoot the birds during the season without proving non-lethal methods failed.
Roosting at Hither Green
Hither Green cemetery in south-east London hosts one of the city’s largest nightly roosts. Thousands of bright-green birds gather in a specific line of poplars at dusk.
The birds belong to the species Psittacula krameri.
Government Considered Abandoned Cull Plans for Urban Populations
Plans for a government-mandated cull were allegedly considered in 2021 before being abandoned due to potential expense and general impracticality, according to The Guardian. An Oxford researcher estimated in 2003 that the Greater London population required a 30% annual reduction just to maintain stability.
Conor O’Gorman, head of policy at BASC, stated that the organization wants to give landowners a quick legal option when birds appear in orchards or vineyards. He noted that the urban population remains established and that quarry status provides insurance against rural incursions.
“The urban population is here to stay,” said Conor O'Gorman, head of policy at BASC.
Runaway Pets and Deliberate Releases Grew the Population
Popular myths attribute the UK population to Jimi Hendrix releasing pet pairs on Carnaby Street in 1968, escapes from The African Queen film set in 1951, or Henry VIII’s menagerie. The Guardian reported that a 2019 study determined the population stems from a steady trickle of runaway pets, deliberate releases, and aviary jailbreaks.
A postwar bird-keeping boom between 1947 and 1961 saw pet bird numbers rise from 600,000 to 11 million. A self-sustaining population established itself in Croydon by 1971, and official counts recorded 12,000 breeding pairs across the UK by 2016.
Environmental Impacts
European studies indicate negative impacts on native bird and bat populations from the parakeets. The birds serve as vectors for Newcastle disease and Cryptosporidium.
Invasion biology studies note similar human-transplanted organisms wreaking havoc elsewhere. Examples include Nile perch in Lake Victoria, documented by historical records.
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