Wild parakeets have been living in the UK since the 19th century, but only since the 1990s have the green birds been spotted in London and the south of England in significant numbers. According to the Natural History Museum, the UK’s climate “proved a good match for the cooler areas these birds grew up in, and as adult birds taken from the wild, they had the skills to survive where domesticated birds might not”.
“In the late 1960s experts confirmed ring-necked parakeets were breeding in London and Kent, and some imaginative tales for how they got there began to circulate.” Ornithologists from Queen Mary University of London believe the parakeets’ spread in the country is likely due to repeated releases and introductions. However, there are other theories, including that birds escaped from the set of the film The African Queen, filmed in West London in 1951.
Parakeets are beautiful birds, and a cute sight in any garden, but how can you attract them to yours?
On the Facebook group UK Bird Lovers, a bird enthusiast asked how he could attract parakeets to his garden, and the most effective way seemed to be leaving apples outside.
One person said parakeets love red apples, and shared a picture of the green birds in her garden: “I tied a red apple on a high branch, which they spotted when they flew overhead. They came regularly for a year or so to eat apples.”
Another one said: “If they are near you, they love apples in feeders!”
Sharing advice on Reddit, a bird lover explained: “Keep a dish of seeds or fruit on your windowsill, and maybe some fresh water. Observe from a healthy distance at first and gradually get closer, so they get accustomed to you. It could take days or weeks.”
Another one even managed to hand-feed apples to them. “I’ve found that if I take a tiny bit and hold it out to them, they seem to want to try it more than just putting it in their bowl.”
According to Exoticdirect, parakeets love apples, but “the quantities should be tiny because of the amount of sugar”.
