Ring Necket Parakeets

[Chas]

Originally Posted by billyb1987

I'm shocked! Humans are the biggest threat to Earth and it's inhabitants, do we cull ourselves to reduce the threat? no the majority of us don't even care. I'm not saying that these birds will not be a menace but let's give them a chance and see what happens. Even if they are destructful it's a mere tiny percentage compared to the damage mankind causes, but oh I forgot, we are a superior species pffff. I'm looking forward to my first sighting of a British wild parakeet. Fair enough they aren't "supposed" to be here but they are now so it's tough.

I have to say that this kind of over sentimental attitude towards wildlife is part of the problem. You don't make a valid argument and to compare humans with parakeets is frankly a bit weird. It is man that allowed them to escape so yes we are to blame. They are here because of mans carelessness and stupidity and we should rectify the situation before it is totally out of hand. Do you not realise how much damage a flock of say 10,000 of these birds, as large as a wood pigeon with massive beaks that can chew through anything, could do. They are already competing with all our native species of birds for food and nest sites and to say you know they shouldnt be here but they are so "tough" is crazy. They have been "given a chance" and you "cant wait to see one", well go to a pet shop or zoo, they are full of them as well. Incidentally it is illegal to release any non native species to the wild so there is the argument for culling. I appreciate that everyone is entitled to an opinion but please don't base it on over sentimentality just because they are attractive to the eye.

[billyb1987]

Yeh well, so because we brought them over therefore we should go and kill/cull the little things, not to eat no, it's to keep them under control so it's alright. No proof has been brought forward to show that they are a real menace, well not that i know of anyway. This is not over sentimentality, I just get annoyed at people who kill not to eat, but for other reasons that, at the moment doesn't seem such a HUGE problem.

[Tormentil]

So, you think we should wait until the problem is HUGE, then have to irradicate even more of them? Surely potential problems should be nipped in the bud.

[billyb1987]

'potential problem' not 'a current problem', You said it! Killing/Culling them now cannot be justified IMO that's all i'm trying to say.

[Chas]

I can see where you argument has some validity, it is never a pleasant thing to kill anything, no decent person would ever think that it is, but it really must be done before the problem is so huge that it just can't be dealt with. You are obviously a very sensitive and caring person Billy and I applaud your willingness to state your case, but please do not let sentimentality get in the way of what must be done. Surely you do not want to see a native environment that is radically changed and dominated by a species that is alien to this country. When things happen and evolve naturally, processes occur and evolve alongside that keeps a natural balance and check on things. However when a species is introduced artificially and the natural balance is disturbed real environmental and ecological problems happen. This is what is happening with Ring Necked Parakeets. We, man that is caused the problem and now we should deal with it, it is as rudimentary as that. For an example, Cane Toads in Australia, Rabbits in Australia, Rats and other mammals to Islands in new Zealand which wiped out colonies of nesting birds. Hedgehogs on the Scotish Island,(sory cant remember which)etc etc.

[Chas]

Originally Posted by billyb1987

'potential problem' not 'a current problem', You said it! Killing/Culling them now cannot be justified IMO that's all i'm trying to say.

Could you please tell me wha IMO means thanks?

[billyb1987]

Yes it means 'In my opinion'

[Muggsy]

interesting Chas, that you should mention Australia.

Western Australia have a huge problem with Rainbow Lorikeets (sp)
As you have mentioned, they cull problem flora and fauna ie non Western Aussie native anything.

They trap/net/shoot the lorikeets in thier thousands, but the problem just keeps expanding.

Why.

The lorikeets original colony site is in the car park of Perth Airport. Theres thousands of them there, the noise is deafening.
The nature conservancy people cant do too much about these, imagine if tourists arrived and the first impression of Australia was seeing these magnificently beautiful birds being shot willy nilly

These ring necks here need controlling, end of.

[Tormentil]

Originally Posted by Muggsy

The lorikeets original colony site is in the car park of Perth Airport. Theres thousands of them there,

Thousands!! Thats a lorra' keets.

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Chas

I have to say that this kind of over sentimental attitude towards wildlife is part of the problem. You don't make a valid argument and to compare humans with parakeets is frankly a bit weird. It is man that allowed them to escape so yes we are to blame. They are here because of mans carelessness and stupidity and we should rectify the situation before it is totally out of hand. Do you not realise how much damage a flock of say 10,000 of these birds, as large as a wood pigeon with massive beaks that can chew through anything, could do. They are already competing with all our native species of birds for food and nest sites and to say you know they shouldnt be here but they are so "tough" is crazy. They have been "given a chance" and you "cant wait to see one", well go to a pet shop or zoo, they are full of them as well. Incidentally it is illegal to release any non native species to the wild so there is the argument for culling. I appreciate that everyone is entitled to an opinion but please don't base it on over sentimentality just because they are attractive to the eye.

Despite 30,000 of them in London there's still no evidence they are having an adverse effect on native species + I've been directly involved in a bird monitoring project for some years in west London where there's many of these birds with no decrase in any of the other hole nesters, some of which have also increased over the time period.

London is hardly a pristine environment- a large number of the species of flora are not native + many of the fauna constituents are not native either + most species do not appear to cause problems, it's only a tiny minority that do. Urban ecology is a fascinating subject + it's a naive assumption native=good, alien= bad; the situation is more complex than that.

We have to remember our wildlife is dynamic with new species arriving, quite often without man's assistance + becoming part of our natural heritage.