Parakeets on a bird feeder in a back garden in south London. It is feared they could push out native species of birds.

The government has confirmed wild parakeets living in Britain are to be culled before they can breed and become a nuisance, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Monk parakeets are the latest invasive species to colonize the country after being released from captivity in the 1990s. But the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has called on the government to re-home the birds rather than shoot them.

"They have the potential to expand rapidly and could pose a threat to agriculture and public safety because of the nests causing structural problems to the electricity supply," a spokesman for the RSPB said. "But we do not believe that they should be shot."

Related

• Birds engaged in breeding in Yuehai national wetland park of Yinchuan, China's Ningxia
• The ABCs of birds and bees
• Animated birds rule worldwide box office
• Migrant birds attracted to Sand Lake in Ningxia

Go to Forum >>0 Comments