Green tails flicker between the branches of maples. Loud cries at dawn wake up residents of residential areas. Parrots in the city? Yes, not in a pet store, not in a cage on the 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 come to our latitudes? How do they survive in winter? And most importantly — should we be happy about such neighbors?

Where did wild parrots in cities come from

Most of the parrots living in European and Asian cities are descendants of escapees. Someone flew out an open window, someone was released by the owner, someone was lucky to escape during transportation. In the tropics, they would not survive without a flock. But in the city, where there are many feeders, greenery, and heat pipes, a niche was found.

The first documented case was the parrots of Kramer 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 living 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 neck of males) and monk parrots (ash-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 attics of buildings, under the roofs of shopping centers. 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 the 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 from branches — several chambers for a family. Such a nest can weigh a centner and keeps warm 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's 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 mating call of the male is audible for half a kilometer.

In Barcelona, Kramer's parrots have driven sparrows and magpies out of central parks. They occupy the holes intended for woodpeckers and destroy the nests of small songbirds. In London, they are considered an invasive species and are trying to limit them (sterilize eggs, shoot, but without success). In Tel Aviv, parrots have become a city legend: they gather on power lines by the thousands and their squawks interrupt 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, Bitsevsky Forest. But ornithologists warn: if the population grows to several thousand, conflict with local birds is 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, and southern France). In Spain, they are considered an agricultural pest: monks love cereal crops and descend on fields in flocks.

Their main feature is their nests. Monks build multi-apartment houses from branches, which can collapse from rain and wind. Such nests put pressure on power lines, clog downspouts. 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, there are few monk parrots. But several flocks have been noted in the Krasnodar Territory and Crimea. Cases of overwintering in Moscow are rare — the climate is harsher for them than for Kramer's parrots.

Attitude of residents: love and hate

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

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

City authorities are wavering. Complete destruction is impossible and cruel. Complete acceptance means to accept the damage. Compromise: control over the population without mass shooting.

What do urban parrots eat

Parrots are vegetarian with a bias towards grain and fruit. In the city, they find a lot of food. Apples and pears in gardens, seeds of maple and chestnut, berries of rowan, hawthorn, elderberry. They eagerly peck at bread left by people (harmful to them, but they eat it). They destroy feeders created for sparrows and pigeons. In Spain, monks descend on rice fields. In Israel, Kramer's parrots love dates — farmers lose up to 20 percent of their harvest.

People often feed parrots on purpose. In Barcelona, mixes for ringed parrots are sold at markets. Tourists throw them cookies and chips — this is harmful, the birds get fat, they develop fatty liver dystrophy. 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 area, the seed comes out with droppings — a new garden. They help pollinate flowers (carry pollen on their beaks and chests). They 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 holes of large spotted woodpeckers, and the woodpeckers have left central parks. They displace magpies, titmice, sparrows. They can cause damage to greenery: they peck at buds in the 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 a city environment, parrots have colonized it. And now we must decide: to coexist or to 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, be scared, break the dishes. Strengthen the insulation of power lines on your site (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 wide. If a flock has settled on your site and it is noisy 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 frost. The main foci are large cities with a mild winter: Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don, Sochi, Kaliningrad. There are parrots in Moscow, but their number fluctuates: the severe winter of 2023-2024 destroyed almost all of them, then there were new flights.

An interesting case — parrots in Novosibirsk. Several birds have 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, reproduction is low, there is no talk of mass expansion.

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

The 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 the warming of the climate, they will reach St. Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod. They are smarter than pigeons, they live longer (up to 30 years), they have a high social organization. They have already learned to open trash cans, remove protective nets from fruit trees, build nests on high-rise buildings.

Man will not be able to eradicate them. Shooting is ineffective, 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 trash cans, don't leave food on the street. Strengthen power lines.

And — get used to it. The cry of a parrot outside the window in 10 years will be perceived as the cawing 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.

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