• Skip to content
  • Skip to footer
  • Accessibility options
University of Brighton
  • About us
  • Business and
    employers
  • Alumni and
    supporters
  • For
    students
  • For
    staff
  • Accessibility
    options
Open menu
Home
Home
  • Close
  • Study here
    • Meet us
    • Open days
    • Virtual tours
    • Upcoming events
    • Applicant days
    • Meet us in your country
    • Chat to our students
    • Ask us a question
    • Order a prospectus
    • Our campuses
    • Our four campuses
    • Accommodation options
    • Our halls
    • Helping you find a home
    • What you can study
    • Find a course
    • Full A-Z course list
    • Explore our subjects
    • Our academic departments
    • How to study with us
    • Undergraduate application process
    • Postgraduate application process
    • International student application process
    • Apprenticeships
    • Applying through Clearing
    • Transfer from another university
    • Fees and financial support
    • Undergraduate finance
    • Postgraduate finance
    • Our funding and support options
    • Supporting you
    • Your wellbeing
    • Student support and guidance tutors
    • Study skills support
    • Careers and employability
  • Research
    • Research and knowledge exchange
    • Research and knowledge exchange organisation
    • The Global Challenges
    • Centres of Research Excellence (COREs)
    • Research Excellence Groups (REGs)
    • Our research database
    • Information for business
    • Community University Partnership Programme (CUPP)
    • Postgraduate research degrees
    • PhD research disciplines and programmes
    • PhD funding opportunities and studentships
    • How to apply for your PhD
    • Research environment
    • Investing in research careers
    • Strategic plan
    • Research concordat
    • News, events, publications and films
    • Featured research and knowledge exchange projects
    • Research and knowledge exchange news
    • Inaugural lectures
    • Research and knowledge exchange publications and films
    • Academic staff search
  • About us
  • Business and employers
  • Alumni, supporters and giving
  • Current students
  • Staff
  • Accessibility
Search our site
Image of checkland building falmer campus
About us
  • Your university
  • Governance and structure
  • Working with us
  • Statistics and legal
  • News and events
  • Contact us
  • News and events
    • News and events
    • News
    • Events
    • Coronavirus
    • Livestream
    • Open lectures
    • Term dates
  • News
    • News
    • 2022
    • 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015
    • 2014
    • 2013
  • 2019
    • 2019
    • 2019 news archive
  • Invasive parrots: research highlights varied impacts

Invasive parrots: research highlights varied impacts

Non-native parrots can cause substantial damage and threaten native biodiversity, although impacts vary strongly depending on where these parrots have been introduced, according to new pan-European research involving a University of Brighton scientist.

22 July 2019

Brought to Europe as pets, escaped or released parrots have established numerous wild populations. Whilst these populations can damage the environment severe impacts are rare and localised with most reports of damage linked to the widely seen ring-necked and monk parakeets.

Over the past few years there have been over 480 sightings of parrots in the Sussex area and it has been estimated that there is now an established population of around 32,000 ring-necked parakeets in South East England.

Dr Rachel White of the University of Brighton School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences was one of a group of researchers, conservationists, wildlife managers and policy-makers who worked together under the umbrella of ParrotNet, an EU COST Action. Their findings have just been published in the open-access journal NeoBiota.

Commenting on the group’s findings, Dr White said: “It is already well known that introduced parakeets can cause damage. Whilst this study has shown that, as far as most of Europe is concerned, the kind of worst-case scenarios some predicted have not yet occurred, biological invasions of this kind are a major cause of biodiversity loss and can inflict massive socio-economic costs. Mapping and classifying available impact evidence, alongside producing an inclusive and updatable impact database, is key to promoting transparent and socially-accepted ways of managing invasive species wherever they occur.”

Their recommendations include stricter regulation aimed at preventing parakeet introductions, rapid response when emerging populations are detected and better dissemination of information to the public about the impact parakeets can have. For example, using bird feeders that parakeets cannot access may help reduce the abundance of these birds in cities.

The Parrotnet policy brief is available to be downloaded.

Ringnecked Parakeet

Ring-necked Parakeet

Back to top
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • TikTok
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn icon

Contact us

University of Brighton
Mithras House
Lewes Road
Brighton
BN2 4AT

Main switchboard 01273 600900

Course enquiries

Sign up for updates

University contacts

Report a problem with this page

Quick links Quick links

  • Courses
  • Open days
  • Order a prospectus
  • Academic departments
  • Academic staff
  • Professional services departments
  • Jobs
  • Privacy and cookie policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Libraries
  • Term dates
  • Maps
  • Graduation
  • Site information
  • Online shop
  • COVID-19
  • The Student Contract

Information for Information for

  • Current students
  • International students
  • Media/press
  • Careers advisers/teachers
  • Parents/carers
  • Business/employers
  • Alumni/supporters
  • Suppliers
  • Local residents