Colourful parakeet spotted in Stenhousemuir fruit tree

A parakeet has been spotted near the town’s Dunvegan assisted living facility in recent days.

Larbert resident Margaret Hutchins took to Facebook to ask if anyone had lost the bird after her daughter saw the species of parrot in a fruit tree.

Margaret said: “She works at Dunvegan and staff have been trying to catch it, thinking it was someone’s pet.

“It’s been there for a few days. She sent me that photo today as we were worried it would not survive the cold night.”

According to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the ring-necked, or rose-ringed, parakeet is the UK's most abundant naturalised parrot.

It became established in the wild in the 1970s after captive birds escaped or were released.

Parakeets are a well-known resident of the greater London area, roosting communally in large flocks.

The RSPB says the population has been increasing steadily, though it remains concentrated in south-east England.

The ring-necked parakeet's native range is a broad belt of arid tropical countryside, stretching from west Africa across lowland India south of the Himalayas, where it is a common bird.

Despite their tropical origin, parakeets can handle cold British winters, especially in suburban parks, large gardens and orchards, where food supply is more reliable.

They feed on a wide variety of fruit, berries, nuts, seeds, grain and household scraps.

Parakeets are colourful and frequent visitors to bird tables and garden feeders, particularly during the winter months.

Birds are regularly reported in Britain, and are likely to be local escapees.

A wild parakeet flock settled in Glasgow in April 2019 and instantly became a hit with locals.

Around 20 or 30 of the birds took up residence in Victoria Park in the west of the city.

They are believed to have been breeding in Glasgow for the past few years. It’s thought the flock spread its wings, with some seen throughout the city and the suburbs.

Some citizens have reported seeing the green-feathered, red-beaked birds in Glasgow Green and gardens in Westerton, within Dawsholm Park.

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