Friday, June 25, 2004
UK 'being overrun by parakeets'
Ananova: The UK faces an invasion of parakeets, with the wild population likely to exceed 100,000 in a decade, experts are warning.
The Sun says an Oxford University study has found 20,000 ring-necked parakeets, normally found in much sunnier climes, roaming free, with numbers going up by 30 per cent a year.
It was thought the birds were surviving on suburban bird feeders, the study found many could last on wild fruit, nuts and buds.
There are 10,000 of the birds in London alone, with one roost in Esher holding 6,000.
A vineyard in southern England saw its production fall from 3,000 bottles to just 500 in one year after a parakeet invasion.
Parakeets can live for up to 34 years, and a female can give birth to 60 chicks in her lifetime.
Ananova: The UK faces an invasion of parakeets, with the wild population likely to exceed 100,000 in a decade, experts are warning.
The Sun says an Oxford University study has found 20,000 ring-necked parakeets, normally found in much sunnier climes, roaming free, with numbers going up by 30 per cent a year.
It was thought the birds were surviving on suburban bird feeders, the study found many could last on wild fruit, nuts and buds.
There are 10,000 of the birds in London alone, with one roost in Esher holding 6,000.
A vineyard in southern England saw its production fall from 3,000 bottles to just 500 in one year after a parakeet invasion.
Parakeets can live for up to 34 years, and a female can give birth to 60 chicks in her lifetime.
