I got to see the recently reported Rose-ringed Parakeets at Wat Ban Khong ( วัดบ้านฆ้อง) in Photaram, Ratchaburi, this evening. They were clearly audible and in fact it took about twenty minutes of waiting before a pair came into view. What a beautiful sight especially as the rose ring on the male was clearly visible as he stretched his head forward. They really do have perfect camouflage agains the trees in the temple. Finding the temple was simple, a twenty minute drive from work, and a very helpful monk knew exactly what we were looking for as he said ‘nok gay-o’ to us which is the bird’s Thai name.
It looks as if a feral population is in the process of establishing itself here. Parakeets of any kind make popular caged birds and there can be little doubt these are the offspring of ‘escapees’ or ‘releasees’, birds freed as an offering as part of merit making. There are some significant populations of feral Rose-ringed Parakeets in some big cities, for instance in London, specifically in and around Richmond Park. That they can survive the European winter is indicative of how highly adaptable Rose-ringed Parakeets are. This article is highly informative about populations in California and makes the point that Rose-ringed Parakeets have little difficulty in finding each other because they are so vocal!
This small population needs monitoring so that its status can be evaluated. The vocalisations suggest there were more than the two I saw today. Interesting to have this situation on my doorstep. Of course this goes into my records as a tick and a review of the list shows this is my first lifer in 2015!
Dodgy Birds 