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, 31 July 2019

Parakeets pop in to live in Peterborough

Published: 12:00 Saturday 20 July 2019

Pigeons could be having to take a back seat in Peterborough – as tropical parakeets are making the city their home.

The bright green birds normally live in Africa or south Asia, but it appears a group of ring necked parakeets have moved to Longthorpe.

Carl Whitney, who lives in Nathan Close, said he had seen a number of birds feeding near his home.

He said: “Over the past two or three weeks I have seen them in groups of five or six on a daily basis. The neighbours have seen a similar thing as well.

“They tend to be more active early in the morning or late in the evening.

“They tend to be sitting on the top of the trees, or feeding on fruit trees in the area.

“I first thought they might be escaped birds who were pets, but because there are so many of them together, I think they are colonising in Longthorpe.”

A spokesman for the RSPB confirmed it was likely the birds were living wild in Longthorpe – and the birds would be able to cope with almost anything the British weather could throw at them, despite their tropical roots.

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