Falling Down the Thames Blog 4, 9^th April 2014

Parrots? In England?

 

Of parrots there are 332 species, and each one of them is beautiful. The family includes giants, like the Hyacinth Macaw of Brazil at a metre long and 1.7 kilograms in mass. At the other end are minuscule representatives, like the Red-breasted Pygmy Parrot of New Guinea, twelve times as small and 300 times less massive. Somewhere in the middle is the Ring-necked Parakeet, sometimes known as the Rose-ringed Parakeet. Native to a band of north-tropical Africa and the Indian subcontinent, these pale yellow-green birds are most notable for their red beak and pink-coloured collar. They inhabit deciduous woodlands, and eat fruit and seeds. Ring-necked Parakeets are well known among the caged-bird fraternity, and come in a number of desirable colours not usually seen in nature, including albino, cinnamon, grey and blue.

So why, in a dialogue about a journey down the River Thames in southern England, am I writing about a species of parrot from African and India? It seems that once a creature is taken into captivity, it is only a matter of time before it escapes. I call it the Jurassic Park phenomenon. Whether intentionally or by accident, Ring-necked Parakeets have been introduced to such far-flung locales as Mauritius, Hong Kong, Singapore, and, you guessed it, England.

According to the Lonely Planet guide to London, it is possible to find a colony of these parakeets on an island in the Thames. At least I assume that the authors were writing about the Ring-necked Parakeet. Not known for their ornithological acumen, the guide’s authors describe colonization by flocks of “feral parakeets.” But since the only parrots known from the British Isles are Ring-necked Parakeets, my species identification is a pretty safe bet.

The LP guide describes the section of the River Thames that flows from Petersham and Ham to Twickenham Bridge as one of the most attractive in London. Just before reaching Richmond Bridge, Krista and I should come across Corporation Island. And there we should find parakeets. After all, has the LP guide ever been wrong in the past?

Hands up – who thinks that Krista and I need to stop our journey at Corporation Island, long enough to see the parakeets?

According to the Tidal Thames Recreational Users Guide provided by the Port of London Authority, Corporation Island is a sliver of land just two miles downstream from Teddington Lock. This is the final lock on the Thames, the place where the Thames becomes tidal, and the spot at which Krista and I will need to switch from a canoe to an ocean-capable kayak. I promise that I will take my camera along, and will  post photographs when we find the parakeets.

- Glen

 

Photo credits: Ring-necked Parakeet - www.independent.co.uk; Dr Krista Halling - www.vetemergency.ca