Asian Ring-Necked Parakeets: The Invasive Birds Reshaping Europe's Cities (Documentary, 2021)

Asian ring-necked parakeets are increasingly conquering cities around Central Europe. The magpie-sized green parrots are conspicuous due to their loud squawking and large flocks. They litter the streets with their droppings, and are suspected of damaging trees and stealing the nesting cavities of native bird species. In the Rhine metropolis of Cologne, ornithologists are getting to the bottom of the accusations. Being very attractive birds, parakeets were much in demand as pets in the middle of the 20th century. But several specimens escaped from their owners and moved into city parks. There, they survived the mild winters and reproduced. Birdwatchers estimate the European parakeet population at around one hundred thousand. The European Union regards the alien species as potentially invasive. This is because these red-beaked parakeets breed in tree hollows, thereby competing with jackdaws and squirrels for nesting sites. In addition, the flocks of dexterous birds often eat trees bare after foraging for fruits, nuts and seeds. Local residents are annoyed, too. Every evening, large flocks meet in their thousands at a central roosting place, where they also pollute the streets with their droppings. Repeated attempts to drive away the pests using various means have all been in vain. A Cologne biologist studies these birds in their new environment. He has discovered that the species has adapted remarkably quickly to its new living conditions. And he makes astonishing observations that do not fit into the birds’ “unwanted troublemaker” image at all. ------- Chapters ▷ 00:00 - Introduction ▷ 01:26 - Parakeets in Cologne - Love or Nuisance? ▷ 02:29 - From India to Europe - How Parakeets Arrived ▷ 03:42 - Pets Turned Wild - Escapes and the Bird Trade ▷ 04:30 - Smart, Social, and Loud - Why People Love Them ▷ 06:01 - Two Species Take Over - Ring-Necks & Alexandrines ▷ 06:58 - Noise, Droppings & Complaints - Urban Conflicts ▷ 07:33 - On the EU Watchlist - Are Parakeets Invasive? ▷ 08:12 - Evening Spectacle - Flying into the City Roosts ▷ 09:31 - Why Cities Are Perfect - Warmth, Light & Safety ▷ 11:34 - Fighting for Nest Cavities - Conflict with Native Birds ▷ 14:01 - Feeding Like Pros - Beaks, Feet & City Buffets ▷ 16:56 - Climate Change & Mild Winters Help Them Thrive ▷ 17:23 - Counting the Birds - Cologne's Parakeet Census ▷ 20:14 - Humans Strike Back - Hawks, Lights & Firecrackers ▷ 23:14 - Love, Mating & Raising Chicks in the City ▷ 26:01 - Housing Crisis - Tree Hollows and Building Facades ▷ 29:19 - Are Parakeets Really the Problem? ▷ 31:22 - Nest Boxes & Science - Managing Instead of Killing ▷ 36:13 - Growing Up Green - Chicks Learn City Life ▷ 41:21 - Public Parakeets - Art, Education & Awareness ▷ 45:24 - Adapting Fast - A New Urban Bird Emerges ▷ 48:06 - Release Back to the Wild - Science in Action ▷ 50:11 - Nuisance or Neighbour? The Future of Parakeets ▷ 50:59 - Credits #documentary #animals #wildlife #nature #parakeet #urbanwildlife #biodiversity #birds #alienspecies #conservation #ecosystem #animalbehavior #animalplanet ------- Watch all videos in our playlist: https://bit.ly/49hcVqb Subscribe to wocomoWILDLIFE: https://goo.gl/L5puvQ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wocomo ------- Ostrich-sized rheas trample fresh shoots in the farmlands of northern Germany. Flocks of bright green parakeets screech around Cologne cathedral. And beaver-like, orange-toothed coypus gnaw at Dutch dams and dikes. All these “nuisance” animals are non-native and are suspected of causing ecological and economic damage. Should the invaders be fought against? Or is it just prejudice against previously unknown species? This short series of three films gets to the bottom of the accusations against alien species. To achieve this, the immigrant creatures are observed in their new environment, their relationship with other species is examined and the latest scientific findings are presented. Original title: Parakeets | They Came to Stay - Our Alien Animal Neighbours A film by Herbert Ostwald © 2021, Licensed by Albatross ------- Videos about animals, aquatic life and nature: wocomoWILDLIFE offers high-quality entertainment. The films on our channel are produced by leading production companies. Check out our other channels to watch high quality documentaries: ▷ wocomoHUMANITY: https://www.youtube.com/@wocomoHUMANITY ▷ wocomoDOCS: https://www.youtube.com/@wocomodocs ▷ wocomoHISTORY: https://www.youtube.com/@wocomoHISTORY ▷ wocomoTRAVEL: https://www.youtube.com/@wocomoTRAVEL ▷ wocomoCOOK: https://www.youtube.com/@wocomocook WocomoWILDLIFE is part of the Wocomo channel network by NIKITA VENTURES. Wocomo - wonderful content in motion.