Ornithological Society carrying out parakeet count
The Hellenic Ornithological Society has embarked on a campaign this holiday season to count the growing number of ring-necked parakeets living in the parks of Athens, Thessaloniki and other cities.
This species of parakeet is common in the wild in parts of North Africa, the Indian subcontinent and Latin America.
A rise in parrot numbers has also been reported elsewhere in Europe, sparking concerns that these non-native birds could threaten local biodiversity.
“It is very important census that we’ll be carrying out in Athens, Thessaloniki and urban areas of islands like Rhodes and Crete,” Panagiotis Latsoudis, who heads the Hellenic Ornithological Society, told the Guardian newspaper.
He also said that the parakeet population in Crete is thought to have increased considerably in all major cities on the island.
