Wait, Is That a Tree or 1,000 Parrots? London’s Winter Just Got Wild!

So naturally, I started snapping pics because, duh, this was nuts. But not everyone’s cheering. Some folks find these chatty parrots kinda spooky because they multiply like crazy, shout loud enough to wake the dead, and raid crops like tiny green ninjas. These fearless birds will swoop down for an apple and even fight their feathered friends over it.

Mystery alert: No one really knows how these parakeets landed in Britain, but they're definitely not locals. With their neon-green feathers and pink neck rings, they’re like the unexpected party crashers of the bird world.

Believe it or not, these parrots made their UK debut back in the 1860s! Since then, their numbers went bonkers - like 2,000% bigger! Experts call it the “green invasion.” These parakeets are actually the UK's northernmost parrots now, thanks to a bunch of escape artists breaking out of cages over the years. Now, Southeast England is their hangout spot where they snack on seeds, nuts, and whatever fat pellets you might toss them.

Mild English winters? Not so bad for these tropical birds, but still a shock. At first, they just shrugged it off. Then snow showed up, and they got serious about survival, building giant group nests to keep warm and have babies. The native crows and jackdaws are kinda losing the turf to these organized parrot crews, who keep turning up in bigger and bigger numbers.

Ever notice all the parrots line up facing the same way? It’s like their version of ‘facing the wind’ for a plane landing - helps them slow down and land without tripping over their own feet. When the wind’s just right, they can even hover mid-air like tiny superheroes before touching down on a branch. Fancy!