Green tails flicker among the maple branches. 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 metropolises around the world. How did they come to our latitudes? How do they survive winter? And most importantly — should we be happy about such a neighbor?

Where did the wild parrots in cities come from

Most parrots living in European and Asian cities are descendants of escapees. Someone flew out an open window, someone was released by the owner, and someone lucky escaped during transportation. In the tropics, they would not survive without a flock. But in the city, where there are many feeders, greenery, and heat networks, 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 neck of males) 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 would die in winter. But parrots are smarter than we think. First, they choose a microclimate. They nest in parks near heat networks, on rooftops, under shopping center roofs. Outside, minus ten, but under the roof, plus five. Second, they gather in large flocks and sleep tightly, warming each other. Third, they change their diet. In summer, they eat fruits, berries, seeds. In winter, they switch to bird feeders and find non-freezing 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 survival rates of up to 90 percent in mild winters and about 60 percent in severe. 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 mating call of the male is audible a kilometer away.

In Barcelona, Kramer's parrots have displaced sparrows and magpies from central parks. They occupy the nests intended for woodpeckers and destroy the nests of small singing birds. In London, they are considered an invasive species and efforts are being made to control them (sterilizing eggs, shooting, but without success). In Tel Aviv, parrots have become a city legend: they gather on electric wires in thousands and their squawks disrupt 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, Bittsevsky 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 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 rain gutters. In the United States, where monk parrots have also settled (for example, in Brooklyn, New York), utilities spend millions of dollars on cleaning their nests from power line poles.

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

Attitudes 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, and posted on social media. Parrots are tame, do not fear people, 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 mass internet outages. Monk parrots bite seriously: their beak is much stronger than a sparrow's, and the bite can be bloody.

City authorities are walking a tightrope. Complete destruction is impossible and cruel. Complete acceptance means accepting the damage. Compromise: controlling the population without mass shooting.

What do urban parrots eat

Parrots are vegetarian with an inclination towards grains and fruits. In the city, they find a lot of food. Apples and pears in gardens, seeds of maple and chestnut, berries of rowan, hawthorn, and elderberry. They eagerly peck at bread left by people (it's harmful to them, but they eat it). They destroy feeders created for finches and sparrows. In Spain, monks descend on rice fields. In Israel, Kramer's parrots love dates — farmers lose up to 20 percent of the 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, and fatty liver disease develops. Ornithologists ask: feed only cleaned seeds, unroasted nuts, pieces of apples and carrots. And do not overfeed.

Parrots and the city ecosystem: pros and cons

Pros: parrots spread the seeds of fruit trees. They eat a fruit, fly to another district, and the seed comes out with droppings — a new garden. They help pollinate flowers (they 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 nests of large spotted woodpeckers, and the woodpeckers have left central parks. They drive away magpies, titmice, sparrows. They may 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, parrots have mastered it. And 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. Do not 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 plot (special boxes).

Do not feed wild parrots by hand — they lose their fear of people and become aggressive. Hang 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 the site and makes noise in the morning, try repellents — shiny ribbons, recordings of the cries of predatory birds. Do not kill — it is illegal in many countries.

If you see a wounded parrot, call the wildlife rehabilitation center. Do not treat them 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 hotspots are large cities with a mild winter: Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don, Sochi, Kaliningrad. In Moscow, there are parrots, but their numbers fluctuate: the severe winter of 2023-2024 destroyed almost all of them, then there were new flights.

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

There is no state program in Russia 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 power lines have already been received by the Rospotrebnadzor.

The future: will parrots become city pigeons 2.0

Forecast: yes. In the next 30-50 years, parrots will settle in all major cities in southern Russia, and with climate warming — they will reach St. Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod. They are smarter than pigeons, live longer (up to 30 years), have a high social organization. They have already learned to open garbage bins, 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 option is to adapt. Sterilize eggs (destroy nests and replace eggs with dummies). Remove accessible food: close garbage bins, do not leave food on the street. Strengthen power lines.

And — get used to it. The cry 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.

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