Anyone know what BIRDS these are!?? In LONDON? Someone must know!?

I was cleaning my window just now this morning, here in London, outside there there are few trees, when I looked at these trees, I became pleasantly suprised. I saw what looked like green parrots! Is that normal?

I've tried to do some research, and all I can find it close to look like is a bird called Echo Parakeet, which I highly doubt, because I read they are endangered, and there is only like 200 left in the world, and there is no mention of them being in the UK!

Echo Parakeet
images.google.co.uk...

So you bird watchers out there must know what it really is? It can't be this endangered one right?

Here's a few of pictures of it happily eating on the tree, they were high up so I will provide zoomed pictures.










I will try to get more if I see them again later, if anyone wants.

Hope to see answers I would love to know what they are



[edit on 31-5-2008 by _Phoenix_]

reply to post by _Phoenix_


Well I couldn't confirm which Parakeet it actually is but am more than aware that there are numerous flocks of Parakeets in two locations I frequent in London, Wembley and Uxbridge.

According to this BBC new item there appear to more than one type:

BBC - London Parakeets

I have to admit I like seeing them but have to be a little concerned that tropical birds are flourishing so well in our "temperate" climate.

Apparently Urban Legend has them escaping from a container from Heathrow.


[edit on 31-5-2008 by Koka]

reply to post by Koka


Hey thanks for that, they must be parakeets then, interesting, the way they look and the sound they make, it makes me feel like I'm in another warmer country, which is nice actually hehe.

They look like the fully green one in that link you gave.

[edit on 31-5-2008 by _Phoenix_]

Wow, that's pretty neat. I wouldn't have expected parakeets to do so well in a foreign environment. Cool pictures of it snatching berries too!

Very pretty bird.. Wish I had something like that outside in my tree.

I'm no Bird expert but it is some type of parrot.

Originally posted by Lantian
Very pretty bird.. Wish I had something like that outside in my tree.

I'm no Bird expert but it is some type of parrot.

Yeah it's a welcome change to the pigeons, which also love to hang around in the trees.

I'm gonna have to call this one out and call it a fake. I can tell it's your cat in a parrot costume, i can see the zipper!

jk, that's pretty cool sight, all i see here in Vegas are flying rats. I'm jealous of ya. I wish i lived in London, hell i'll settle for any town in England, I'll go to Ipswich and happily pass away there! Went there for a week and have missed it since. Parrots i assume are not very natural anywhere in Europe but...i'm rather uneducated when it comes to birds

Originally posted by screamo


jk, that's pretty cool sight, all i see here in Vegas are flying rats. I'm jealous of ya.

Haha yeah it's nice to see these parrots, but don't be too jealous, pigeons, also love to hang around in the trees and outside my window, actually they have made a nest with eggs on my balcony haha. But I must admit except for all the poo they make, they ain't that bad. lol








[edit on 31-5-2008 by _Phoenix_]

I think this is a rose ringed parakeet, usualy found in india and africa,

Wiki

reply to post by Kalomar


Interesting, I think your right....thanks.

So I guess the one I made a picture of is female.

en.wikipedia.org...





[edit on 31-5-2008 by _Phoenix_]

Interesting info on how they survive in the UK.

news.bbc.co.uk...

They're all over part of South West London and beyond. I worked for a year in Taplow, just up the road from Slough, and we used to get loads roosting in the trees overnight. See them often whilst visiting a friend in Chertsey too so they cover quite a wide area.
Amazing that, what is essentially a tropical bird, should be thriving in our climate, although it's hardly harsher than the odd hard frost these days

I read recently that they were more and more of them in Barcelona; replacing the pigeons (confirmed by a friend who lives in Barcelona).
I have also seen a couple of these green birds, when I was on my balcony, in Cologne (GER).

they look a little like the Monk parrakeets we have here in Connecticut. What size are they ?

this ia a pic of a monk parakeet - does it look similar to that ?
they have a big problem with them in milford, ct because they build large nests on telephone poles. the utility people keep moving the nests and killing the birds! a lot of people protest every spring!

Double post....

[edit on 31-5-2008 by _Phoenix_]

Originally posted by mystars1212

this ia a pic of a monk parakeet - does it look similar to that ?
they have a big problem with them in milford, ct because they build large nests on telephone poles. the utility people keep moving the nests and killing the birds! a lot of people protest every spring!

I think they are closer to the rose ringed parakeet, similar eyes and same all green body and redish beak look.

The monk is not all green, and has black eyes.

But the rose ringed parakeet, has exactly the same orange eyes, and green body, and redish beak, they must be that! en.wikipedia.org...

[edit on 31-5-2008 by _Phoenix_]

Reminds me of the monk parrots that we have here. Funny, I was just listening to them a moment ago squabbling on my balcony and then saw this thread.

They are great birds, and indeed a welcome sight compared to the flying rats.

Look at my picture then look at this picture, I think it really is the rose ringed parakeet, almost exactly alike, they could be twins, haha.

The female for comparison.

upload.wikimedia.org...



[edit on 31-5-2008 by _Phoenix_]

The type I have seen the most of is the Ringneck Parakeet and have been seeing them for 3-4 years now, you usually hear them before you see them if you are tuned to recognise there calls and I have seen many more in flight than stationary.

One particular phenomenon I have realised is Starlings are now imitating their calls, a situation I became aware of when hearing Ringneck calls and looking in the direction they came from only to see some Starlings on the chimney pots.

A particular concern to me personally is that the Ringneck generally nests in holes in trees, a site which is also favoured by many species of Owls, some of which may not be able to compete with the Parakeets for this prime real estate, they may not be as well distibuted for this to be a concern as yet but clearly if numbers increase significantly than this may become an issue.