Perched on a tree, or in full flight, curious green parrots can be spotted in manyWest European cities. Whether in the south of the continent in Spain, Portugal and Italy, or further north in Germany, the UK or even the Netherlands, the presence of these tropical birds often startles passers-by. To be precise, these are ring-necked parakeets, originally from Asia and Africa. Their arrival on the Old Continent has nothing to do with migration: these birds are well and truly settled and acclimatized to Europe. And to get here, they've even taken to the air, starting in Paris.
The invasion of green parakeets in Europe began with an unusual incident in the 1970s. These birds were destined for sale and escaped during a transfer in 1976 atParis-Orly Airport, one of the capital's main terminals. Since then, parakeets have invaded Paris and the surrounding region, adapted to the European climate, proliferated and spread to the west of the continent. Now, the next time you come face to face with these colorful birds, you'll know how they got their foothold in Europe.
