Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Parakeets attack church spire in London

Hundreds of exotic birds have pecked their way through the spire of a south London church, causing thousands of pounds worth of damage. The rose-ringed parakeets were initially welcomed by parishioners of St John's in Croydon - until they decided to hack away at the soft wood shingles, creating gaping holes. Now the church, built in 1836, faces a £5,000 repair bill. (link via telegraph.co.uk) It reminds me of the (truly frightening) Alfred Hitchcok movie, The Birds although these parakeets aren't actually getting inside the church and they aren't attacking people.

2 comments:

  1. I'm not surprised at this report as their numbers are now considerable in the London area.
    I very occasionally see some of these overflying the allotments.
    I agree that the film The Birds is frightening! xx

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  2. You're right - it's not surprising when you consider how many of these birds are in the London area now.

    Most Brits think of the grey squirrel as one of the worst invasive species, but these birds are capable of doing a lot of damage (such as to this church), and they could become a pest to farmers or threaten other wildlife.

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