Background

If you lived in London in the years approaching 1970 you might have noticed a new type of bird in the sky. Not a wood pigeon or a crow, but a bird with a bright green back and a red beak — parakeets. 

The ringneck parakeet is originally native to parts of Africa and India, so how on earth did they get to the South of England? 

Thought to have first been spotted in Norfolk in 1855, Dulwich, South London in 1893 and then Brixton in 1894. The birds are surrounded by a plethora of strange theories and rumours as to how these exotic birds found themselves flying around England’s capital. 

Theories

One of the most widely believed theories is that the birds escaped the set of the African Queen (1951), flying from Worton Hall Studios in Isleworth. Residents living near the studio’s claim that starting in 1950 they noticed the little green birds popping up more and more in their gardens. The theory is often dismissed due to claims that parakeets were never used on the set of The African Queen. 

Ella Davies is a writer who specialises in natural history. She writes for The Guardian and BBC Earth as well as the Natural History Museum websites. One of the craziest theories she’s heard about the parakeets of London’s origin is that Jimi Hendrix released his two pet parakeets named Adam and Eve at the end of the 1960’s as a symbol of love and freedom.

“The image of Jimi Hendrix releasing a pair of parakeets on Carnaby Street has such 1960s rock star appeal it’s hard to shake”

This theory is often not taken seriously by experts as it is very unlikely for a population to spread from just two birds, especially in light of the fact that London’s population of parakeets sits at around 32,000 and sightings of the birds dates back around 100 years prior. 

“It’s more believable that parakeets escaped an exotic pet shop, or flew free after aviaries were destroyed in the hurricane winds of the Great Storm of 1987. Even though there’s no evidence for any of them, I imagine these urban myths will persist because they’re great stories and humans love drama” Says Ella.

But how did these parakeets actually get to London? The most widely accepted theory is that they were originally bought as expotic pets in the 19th and 20th century until “Parrot Fever” spread across England.

Conclusion…sort of

Psittacosis is a respiratory disease that could jump to humans and cause pneumonia. An illness that can be fatal in 2025, in the 19th and 20th century you would not want to risk it. So nervous exotic pet owners released their birds onto the city.

“Keeping a pet bird was a lot more common in the 20th century, the brighter and more exotic the more popular. Whether through unintentional escapes or purposeful release, these pets got into the wild. Many will have perished in our climate, but ring-necked parakeets are remarkably resilient. From the 1960s there are records of the birds living and successfully breeding in the capital.”

The official channel these birds used to take over London is still unknown.