As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Wednesday 6 June 2018

The Invasive Rose-ringed Parakeet – a Threat from Hawai’i to Spain



The island of Kauai and a park in Seville, Spain are facing similar concerns over one invasive bird – the Rose-ringed Parakeet.

What do Kauai, Hawai’i and Seville, Spain have in common? Answer: the invasive Rose-ringed Parakeet.

The brightly colored bird is native in parts of Asia and Africa but the bright coloration has also led this species into  the pet trade industry. As an unfortunate by-product of their popularity as pets, the birds have been accidentally and intentionally released into non-native habitats around the world. The Kauai population was first established in the 1960s and grew to 200 individuals by the 1990s. Today experts estimate over 5,000 parakeets live on Kauai. Seville has a similar story of introduction that took place in the 1990s when 10 individuals were released after being confiscated from a pet shop. Now the populations are out of control and conservationists are concerned.


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