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Parakeets
Find out all you need to know about choosing the right bird and then making sure it flourishes in your home.
Book
Assessing the assessments: evaluation of four impact assessment protocols for invasive alien species
Aim: Effective policy and management responses to the multiple threats posed by invasive alien species (IAS) rely on the ability to assess their impacts before conclusive empirical evidence is available. A plethora of different IAS risk and/or impact assessment protocols have been proposed, but it remains unclear whether, how and why the outcomes of such assessment protocols may differ. Location: Europe. Methods: Here, we present an in-depth evaluation and informed assessment of the consistency of four prominent protocols for assessing IAS impacts (ElCAT, GISS, Harmonia⁺ and NNRA), using two non-native parrots in Europe: the widespread ring-necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri) and the rapidly spreading monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus). Results: Our findings show that the procedures used to assess impacts may influence assessment outcomes. We find that robust IAS prioritization can be obtained by assessing species based on their most severe documented impacts, as all protocols yield consistent outcomes across impact categories. Additive impact scoring offers complementary, more subtle information that may be especially relevant for guiding management decisions regarding already established invasive alien species. Such management decisions will also strongly benefit from consensus approaches that reduce disagreement between experts, fostering the uptake of scientific advice into policy-making decisions. Main conclusions: Invasive alien species assessments should take advantage of the capacity of consensus assessments to consolidate discussion and agreement between experts. Our results suggest that decision-makers could use the assessment protocol most fit for their purpose, on the condition they apply a precautionary approach by considering the most severe impacts only. We also recommend that screening for high-impact IAS should be performed on a more robust basis than current ad hoc practices, at least using the easiest assessment protocols and reporting confidence scores.
Journal Article
Did you eat the parakeet?
\"A little girl can't find her parakeet--her kitty must have eaten it! Right? Where else would it have gone? It was just here! She shouts, she accuses, and she laments her loss. But her cat might be trying to tell her something\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
Budgerigar
A curiosity of everything you ever wanted to know (or realised you never knew) about budgies.
eBook
C. C. the parakeet flies the coop!
Mimi and her three-legged dog, Maty, are excited about \"Bring Your Pet to School Day\" but when C. C., the parakeet belonging to shy new girl Emma, gets frightened and flies out the classroom window, Mimi and Maty lead the rescue effort.
Book
Combining trade data and niche modelling improves predictions of the origin and distribution of non‐native European populations of a globally invasive species
AIM: Although propagule pressure and environmental constraints are among the most important factors determining invasion success, studies considering both factors simultaneously are scarce. Moreover, while recent evidence suggests that the environmental requirements of individuals from different geographical ranges may be different, the role of propagule origin in invasions has been largely overlooked. Our aim was to disentangle the relative role of niche requirements, propagule origin and propagule pressure on the distribution of an invasive bird species. LOCATION: Europe, Asia and Africa. METHODS: We used species distribution models, niche and deviance partitioning analyses to investigate the relative roles of propagule pressure (international trade), origin of individuals (Asian or African), and environmental constraints in determining the distribution of invasive ring‐necked parakeets across 25 European countries. RESULTS: Differences between niches of native Asian and African parakeets were found, with the Asian niche matching the European niche more closely. In the invasive European range, distribution of parakeets was mainly explained by the pure effect of year of first importation (as a proxy of time since first introduction), the pure effect of geographical origin of propagules and the joint effect of environmental suitability and year of first importation, but not by overall propagule pressure. Only when taking into account the fraction of individuals whose native niche fitted better the European conditions – Asian parakeets – was the role of propagule pressure highlighted by models. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: While environmental‐based predictions calibrated on native ranges can constitute a useful first‐screening tool, incorporating information about propagule pressure and especially about the variability in its geographical origin may result in a much more thorough assessment of invasion risk. Trade data reveal as a valuable proxy of propagule origin and pressure that can be combined with niche modelling for predicting the fate of trade‐mediated invasions in a variety of organisms.
Journal Article
Establishment success of invasive ring-necked and monk parakeets in Europe
Invasive alien species are a growing threat to biodiversity, and identifying the mechanisms that enable these species to establish viable populations in their new environment is paramount for management of the problems they pose. Using an unusually large number of both failed and successful documented introductions of parakeets (Aves: Psittacidae) in Europe, we test two of the major hypotheses on the establishment success of invading species, namely the climate-matching and the human-activity hypothesis. European human population centres where ring-necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri) and/or monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) introductions have occurred. Data on ring-necked and monk parakeet introductions in Europe were gathered from various sources, including published books and articles, but also from unpublished reports and local grey literature. Information was verified with experts from the region under consideration. In order to test the climate-matching hypothesis, we verified whether the climatic factors that determine the parakeets' native ranges also explain establishment success in Europe. Parakeet occurrence data from the native ranges were analysed using the presence-only modelling method M axent, and correlations between parakeet establishment and climatic and anthropogenic variables in Europe were assessed using both stepwise logistic regression and the information-theoretic model selection approach. The establishment success of ring-necked and monk parakeets was found to be positively associated with human population density, and, both in the native and in the introduced regions, parakeet occurrence was negatively correlated with the number of frost days. Thus, parakeets are more likely to establish in warmer and human-dominated areas. The large number of independent parakeet introductions in Europe allows us to test the often-used climate-matching and human-activity hypotheses at the species level. We show that both hypotheses offer insight into the invasion process of monk and ring-necked parakeets. Our results suggest that, in the future, parakeet establishment probability may increase even further because global warming is likely to cause a decrease in the number of frost days and because urbanization and human populations are still increasing.
Journal Article
Bird feeders may sustain feral Rose-ringed parakeets Psittacula krameri in temperate Europe
The Rose-ringed parakeet Psittacula krameri, a bird species of subtropical origin, has established feral populations in temperate Europe. We analysed the feeding habits of Rose-ringed parakeets near Paris, France, in order to assess if food provided by humans might contribute to the success of this invasive bird species. We considered 87 feeding events performed during 2002 - 2007 and 247 feeding events performed during March - November 2008. We recorded the consumption of seeds, buds and fruits from many native and introduced shrubs and trees, and the use of bird feeders in private and public gardens throughout the year. We followed four radio-equipped birds for 150 hours during September - December 2008, which spent about half of their feeding time at bird feeders. This confirmed the importance of bird feeders in the diet of the Rose-ringed parakeet. Our study underlines the opportunistic granivorous-frugivorous character of this parakeet species and the possible role of human food sources in the success of its establishment in many cities across temperate Europe.
Journal Article
Investigating people’s perceptions of alien parakeets in urban environments
Biological invasions are widely recognised as a significant threat to biodiversity, a driver of global change and a relevant economic problem. Actions to control or eradicate invasive alien species (IAS) can cause great controversy, especially when targeted species are charismatic. Thus, better understanding people’s perceptions of invasive species is key for ensuring more effective IAS management. The ring-necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri) and the monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) are two of the most successful avian invaders worldwide, causing several ecological and socio-economic impacts in recipient regions. We used image-based questionnaires to assess differences in people’s perceptions of recently established ring-necked and monk parakeet colonies in an urban environment (Porto, Portugal). Most participants recognised both species and had a positive perception of the parakeets, with respondents’ education, gender and age influencing their perception. Potential ecological, economic and social impacts caused by these species do not seem be widely acknowledged yet, likely due to the limited awareness of IAS or the incipiency of their impacts in the area. Our results suggest future actions to manage feral parakeet populations in the area will likely be met with public opposition. While increased public literacy about IAS might help improve risk awareness, complementary tools should be used to promote support for potential interventions. Social assessments are vital to identify, evaluate and address social costs and benefits of IAS. Further research should adopt a multidisciplinary approach to foster communication in IAS management actions, implementing effective and sustainable measures to tackle biological invasions by charismatic vertebrates.
Journal Article
Quantitative genetics in the monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) from central Argentina: Estimation of heritability and maternal effects on external morphological traits
The monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) is a South American species unique among parrots; it builds communal stick nests that allow independence from tree or cliff cavities required by most parrots. As a very successful invasive species, it has expanded into several countries around the world. Questions remain around the factors that allowed this species to be such a successful invader in its native range as in other countries, and particularly the extent that evolutionary processes may be involved in adapting to new areas. Along with this line of analysis, we focused on assessing whether morphological characteristics are sufficiently heritable, and therefore responsive to selection. As the first step in this direction, we have estimated heritability of monk parakeet in six external morphological traits considered of potential adaptability value. Samples were obtained in the province of Córdoba in central Argentina. Data from seven microsatellites were used to determine the familial relationships among individuals. Heritabilities and genetic correlations were estimated by means of animal models. We found evidence for significant heritability in the six traits measured, particularly in weight, tarsus length and bill width. We also found evidence of maternal effects on morphological traits, particularly in the traits with lower heritability: wing length, bill length and tail length. Genetic correlations between traits were significant and associated with phenotypic correlations, suggesting that these traits are constrained in terms of evolutionary potential, whereas the amount of additive genetic variance in weight, tarsus length and bill width indicate that these traits could be responsive to selection.
Journal Article