Green Parakeets in Paris: Origin & Spread

You hear a piercing scream, you raise your head… and there, a large bright green spot runs between two buildings. No, you are not dreaming. These green parakeets really colonized Paris and a large part of Île-de-France. But where do they come from, how did they manage to settle here, and should we be worried?

A “ring-necked parakeet” from far away

This large green bird with a red beak is not a lost domestic parrot. This is the ring-necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri), a species naturally present in Sub-Saharan Africa and in Asiaparticularly in India.

Its plumage is of bright greenwith a long black line around the neck in the male, which forms like a dark collar. Among the gray pigeons and discreet sparrows, it immediately catches the eye. When a group crosses the sky of a park, it almost feels like they’re transported to a tropical garden.

You can see them flying in tight flocks, very noisy, early in the morning or late in the day. They often sit at the top of large trees, such as plane trees, chestnut trees or poplars. From a distance, we can easily see their elongated silhouette with the long tail pointing downwards.

How did these exotic birds end up in Paris?

The story resembles a movie script. These parakeets did not come by migrating like geese. They would have arrived by… planebut in the holds.

Starting in the 1970s, the ring-necked parakeet became a pet quite common in Europe. She was imported alive in whole shipments, intended for pet stores. Several stories mention accidental escapes near airports, particularly Orly in the mid-1970s.

Only a few individuals are then found in the Ile-de-France nature. Normally, you would think that they don’t survive long. However, these birds are surprisingly resourceful. They find food, hide in parks, acclimatize. And above all, they reproduce.

Over the years, other involuntary releases, or even voluntary releases by individuals, swelled the small initial core. Discreetly, the population begins to increase.

A population that is exploding in Île-de-France

Today, we no longer talk about a few lost birds. Estimates speak of tens of thousands of ring-necked parakeets in the Paris region, often between 10,000 and 20,000 individuals. They now form a installed populationfollowed by ornithologists.

You can observe them in most large green spaces: Vincennes woods, Bois de Boulognelarge urban parks, tree-lined roadsides, company gardens, university campuses… They use this real “ green ribbon » that forms the web of trees and parks around Paris.

And this phenomenon is not limited to the capital. Comparable populations have developed at London, Bruxelles, Amsterdambut also in several large cities in Germany. In just a few decades, this tropical bird has become a familiar figure in the European sky.

Why do they tolerate the Ile-de-France climate so well?

One detail often intrigues: how can a bird from warm regions spend the winter in Île-de-France? The answer lies in several remarkable advantages.

• A great capacity for adaptation : the ring-necked parakeet is an opportunistic species. It tolerates the cold quite well, as long as it finds enough food and decent shelter for the night.
• A city full of resources : fruits of urban trees, seeds, buds, nuts, hazelnuts, remains of human food, feeders placed for titmice… Cities offer a permanent buffet, especially in autumn and winter.
• An “ideal” urban structure : lines of trees, parks, gardens, planted roadsides… All this forms a continuous network which facilitates their movements and allows them to find cavities in which to nest.
• Group life : they often sleep in large dormitories, sometimes several hundred on the same trees. This collective life helps to protect themselves from predators and to warm up a little.

As a result, these birds, which we imagined fragile in the face of the cold, on the contrary appear to be very resistant. Sometimes even more than certain more discreet local species.

Spectacular birds… but sometimes annoying

For some residents, seeing a flight of green parakeets pass over the Seine is a truly magical moment. This puts a touch of exoticism in everyday life, especially in the middle of winter, when everything is gray.

But not everyone shares this look of wonder. These birds are very noisyespecially when they gather in the evening on a large tree to sleep. Their high-pitched cries can disturb local residents, especially near large urban dormitories.

Another subject of debate: their impact on the local biodiversity. The ring-necked parakeet is now considered invasive alien species in several countries. It may compete with other birds for nesting cavities and for food, particularly in parks where resources are limited.

This does not mean that it suddenly makes all other species disappear. But it can increase the pressure on some, such as starlings, woodpeckers or owls, which also use holes in trees to nest.

Should we be worried about their presence?

The question often arises: should we let these parakeets continue their expansion quietly or should we act to limit their numbers? Even among specialists, the answers remain nuanced.

In Île-de-France, authorities and scientists are mainly focusing on surveillance. Regular counts, monitoring of roosts, observations of interactions with other species… The idea is to fully understand the situation before taking major measures.

At this stage, there is no general instruction to the public to feed them or, on the contrary, scare them away. Instead, we try to assess their real influence on urban ecosystems. Because one thing is certain: an animal can be both fascinating et problematic.

In summary, their presence is not trivial, but it is not an immediate catastrophe either. It is a phenomenon to follow closely, with a view that is neither alarmist nor naive.

How to observe them without disturbing them?

Do you want to see them better, photograph them, or simply take a moment to watch them live? Good idea. With a few simple precautions, you can observe them without disturbing their peace or that of other animals.

• Choose the right time : early in the morning or at the end of the day, they are very active, move in groups and vocalize a lot.
• Aim for the right places : large parks, woods, squares with large plane trees, edges of tree-lined parking lots. Look for trees where many birds gather in the evening; these are often roosts.
• Keep your distance : no need to get too close. With a simple binocular or the zoom of a phone, you can already see them in good detail.
• Don’t feed them : this can encourage excessive concentrations and further unbalance relationships between species.
• Stay discreet : no shouting, no sudden movements, avoid flash. The idea is to observe them as you would watch a scene in the theater, without going on stage.

If you like to write down your nature outings, you can enter the lieul’hour and the approximate number of parakeets observed. Some naturalist associations collect this type of information to monitor the progression of the species more closely.

A symbol of our times to live with

These green parakeets tell a story that goes far beyond their colorful plumage. They talk about animal tradeof air traveld’urbanisation and how our activities transport species from one continent to another without really meaning to.

In a few decades, a few birds escaping near an airport were enough to transform the sound and visual face of many parks in the Ile-de-France region. The next time you see a flock of ring-necked parakeets flying over the ring road or taking up residence in a large tree, you will know that their presence is no coincidence.

Now it’s up to you to choose how to watch them. Like a noise pollution moreover, or as a sometimes disturbing, but fascinating, reminder of the capacity of nature to invite itself into our cities. Maybe a bit of both, actually. And that’s exactly what makes these green birds so intriguing.