Green tails flicker among the branches of maple trees. Loud cries at dawn awaken residents of residential districts. Parrots in the city? Yes, not in a pet store, not in a cage on a balcony, but wild, free, noisy flocks. For Moscow, London, Barcelona, or Tokyo, this is no longer an exoticism, but an everyday occurrence. Dozens of parrot species have colonized megacities around the world. How did they get here? How do they survive in winter? And most importantly — should we be happy about such a neighbor?

Where did the wild parrots in the cities come from

Most parrots living in European and Asian cities are descendants of escapees. Some flew out through an open window, others were released by their owners, and some were lucky to escape during transportation. In the tropics, they would not survive without a flock. But in the city, with many feeders, greenery, and heat pipes, a niche was found.

The first documented case was the Kramer parrots in London. In the 1970s, a pair of escaped birds settled in the southwest of the city. Now there are more than 30,000 individuals of this species in London. In Moscow, the first parrots appeared in the 2010s, and now there are several hundred. In Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon, parrots have become as much a part of the landscape as pigeons. The main urban species are Kramer's ringed parrots (green, with a red beak and a black collar on the male's neck) and monk parrots (gray-green, with a bib-like chest).

How do parrots survive in a temperate climate

It seems that a tropical bird in Moscow or London in winter is death. But parrots are smarter than we think. Firstly, they choose a microclimate. They nest in parks near heat pipes, on rooftops, under shopping center roofs. Outside it's minus ten, but under the roof it's plus five. Secondly, they gather in large flocks and sleep closely together, warming each other. Thirdly, they change their diet. In summer, they eat fruits, berries, seeds. In winter, they switch to bird feeders and find unfrozen water bodies.

Monk parrots even build huge communal nests out of branches — several chambers for a family. Such a nest can weigh a centner and retains heat well. Inside it's always plus, even if it's minus 15 outside. Scientists have recorded a survival rate of up to 90 percent in a mild winter and about 60 percent in a severe one. This is enough for the population to grow.

Kramer parrots: the main urban conquerors

Kramer's ringed parrots are true cosmopolitans. Their homeland is Africa and South Asia, but now they live in 35 countries on four continents. They are smart, omnivorous, aggressive to other species, and very noisy. The male's mating call can be heard over half a kilometer.

In Barcelona, Kramer's parrots have displaced sparrows and magpies from central parks. They occupy the cavities intended for woodpeckers and destroy the nests of small singing birds. In London, they are considered an invasive species and are trying to control them (sterilize eggs, shoot, but without success). In Tel Aviv, parrots have become a city legend: they gather on electrical wires in their thousands and their squawks interfere with street traffic.

In Moscow, Kramer's parrots are not aggressive yet. There are few of them, and they stay in parks along the river — in Kolomenskoye, Tsaritsyno, Bитцевский лес. But ornithologists warn: if the population grows to several thousand, conflicts with local birds are inevitable.

Monk parrots: builders and gardeners

The second most widespread urban species is the monk parrot. It comes from South America, but it has settled well in Europe (especially in Spain, Italy, in the south of France). In Spain, they are considered an agricultural pest: monks love cereal crops and fly to fields in flocks.

Their main feature is nests. Monks build multi-apartment houses out of branches, which can collapse from rain and wind. Such nests put pressure on power lines, clog rainwater pipes. In the United States, where monk parrots have also settled (for example, in Brooklyn, New York), utility services spend millions of dollars on cleaning their nests from power line poles.

In Russia, monk parrots are still rare. But several flocks have been recorded in the Krasnodar Territory and Crimea. There are isolated cases of overwintering in Moscow — the climate is harsher for them than for Kramer's parrots.

Attitude of residents: love and hatred

Urban parrots divide people into two camps. Some are thrilled: green, bright birds adorn gray days, they are fed by hand, filmed, and posted on social media. Parrots are tame, not afraid of people, they fly to balconies, can get into an open kitchen. In London, there are even tours called "Parrot Tour" through the parks.

Others hate them. Noise. Parrots scream so loudly in the morning that you can't sleep. They take over feeders, displacing all small birds. They dirty cars on parking lots. They gnaw through insulation on power lines and internet cables — in Barcelona, due to parrots, there were mass internet outages. Monk parrots bite seriously: their beak is several times stronger than a sparrow's, the bite can draw blood.

City authorities are wavering. Total destruction is impossible and cruel. Total acceptance means accepting the damage. Compromise: controlling the population without mass culling.

What do urban parrots eat

Parrots are vegetarian with an inclination towards grains and fruits. In the city, they find plenty of food. Apples and pears in gardens, seeds of maple and chestnut, berries of rowan, hawthorn, elderberry. They readily peck at bread left by people (harmful to them, but they eat it). They destroy feeders created for titmice and sparrows. In Spain, monks fly to rice fields. In Israel, Kramer's parrots love dates — farmers lose up to 20 percent of the harvest.

People often feed parrots specifically. In Barcelona, mixes for ringed parrots are sold at markets. Tourists throw them cookies and chips — this is harmful, the birds get fat, liver fatty dystrophy develops. Ornithologists ask: feed only cleaned seeds, unroasted nuts, pieces of apples and carrots. And don't overfeed.

Parrots and the city ecosystem: pros and cons

Pros: parrots spread the seeds of fruit trees. After eating a fruit, they fly to another district, and the seed comes out with the droppings — a new garden. They help pollinate flowers (they carry pollen on their beaks and chests). They also destroy some pests — for example, Kramer's parrots peck at bark beetles threatening city oaks.

Cons: they displace native birds. In London, parrots have taken over the cavities of large spotted woodpeckers, and the woodpeckers have left central parks. They drive away magpies, titmice, sparrows. They can cause damage to greenery: they peck at buds in spring, leaving trees without leaves. In some cities (Edinburgh, Brussels), parrots had to be shot to save rare local bird species.

There is no balanced system yet. Man has created the urban environment, and parrots have colonized it. Now we must decide: coexist or fight.

How to coexist with parrots in the city

If you live in a district where parrots have settled, there are rules. Don't leave windows open if there is a feeder on the balcony — parrots will fly into the apartment, get scared, break the dishes. Strengthen the insulation of power lines on your property (special boxes).

Don't feed wild parrots by hand — they lose their fear of people and start to be aggressive. Hang up feeders so that the parrot cannot climb — they are bigger than sparrows, make a hole 3 cm in diameter. If a flock has settled on your property and makes noise in the morning, try repellents — shiny ribbons, recordings of the cries of predatory birds. Don't kill — it is illegal in many countries.

If you see a wounded parrot, call the wildlife rehabilitation center. Don't treat it yourself.

Parrots in cities of Russia: specifics

The situation in Russia is different from Europe. The climate is colder, and mass colonization of parrots is still held back by cold. The main foci are large cities with a mild winter: Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don, Sochi, Kaliningrad. In Moscow, there are parrots, but their number fluctuates: the harsh winter of 2023-2024 destroyed almost all of them, then there were new flights.

An interesting case is the parrots in Novosibirsk. Several birds survived using the heat of the heat plants. They nest in ventilation pipes, feed on landfills and feeders. Ornithologists call this a phenomenon — a parrot lives at -30! True, there are few of them, the reproduction is low, there is no talk of mass expansion.

There is no state program in Russia for controlling parrots yet. They have not started to treat them as an invasive species officially. But the first complaints from residents about noise and damage to power lines have already been received in the Rospotrebnadzor.

Future: will parrots become city pigeons 2.0

Forecast: yes. In the next 30-50 years, parrots will colonize all large cities in southern Russia, and with climate warming — they will reach St. Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod. They are smarter than pigeons, they live longer (up to 30 years), and have a high social organization. They have already learned to open trash cans, remove protective nets from fruit trees, and build nests on skyscrapers.

Man will not be able to eradicate them. Shooting is not effective, trapping is expensive, poisons are dangerous for other animals. The only thing left is to adapt. Sterilize eggs (destroy nests and replace eggs with dummies). Remove accessible food: close garbage bins, don't leave food on the street. Strengthen power lines. And — get used to it. The call of the parrot outside the window in 10 years will be perceived as the crowing of crows. And the green color in the branches will become familiar. Nature adapts faster than man. And parrots are a vivid proof of this.
© elib.pk

Permanent link to this publication: