Parakeets living wild in UK to be culled

Wild parakeets are being culled because they are a threat to Britain's native wildlife, the government has said.

The green, yellow and grey monk parakeet, which is native to South America, is also causing damage to crops, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Only 100 to 150 of the 30cm-tall bird live in the UK, mainly in the home counties, but the decision has been taken to exterminate them.

A Defra spokeman said:

"Where possible the control measures will mean trapping the birds and rehousing them safely, or moving their nests.

"Only if these measures are unsuccessful or not appropriate will a culling of some Monk Parakeets be considered."

Unlike its relative the ring-necked parakeet, which is the UK's only naturalised parrot, the doomed species builds huge communal nests.