A bird typically admired for its vibrant plumage has become a source of frustration for residents in a Scottish neighbourhood. The ring-necked parakeet, usually found in tropical Africa, has been causing significant damage to vehicles in Inverness for over a year.
Destruction and Desperation
Residents report the small green bird ripping rubber from car window seals, chewing wiper blades, and scratching metalwork. Chrisanne Robertson, 70, has resorted to placing plastic snakes on her dashboard to scare the bird away. Pest control experts have suggested putting cardboard faces in windows to trick the bird into thinking the vehicle is occupied. Some residents cover their cars with tarpaulin to protect them.
Mrs Robertson said: 'It's got to the stage where we will try anything. I've never seen anything like it in my life. He seems to do the damage early in the morning. It's mainly to the rubber seals and the windows, but last night he had a peck at the frame. If it wasn't so serious, it would be funny, but it's no laughing matter.'
Another resident, Maisie MacPherson, found the bird on her house trying to eat the rubber seals on her windows. The parakeet, identifiable by a red ring around its neck, is believed to be an escaped pet, first spotted last September.
Financial Impact
Angus Chisholm, whose car was targeted, estimates the bird has caused at least £800 damage per vehicle, affecting 'most of the cars in the street and beyond'. He noted there was 'no point repairing the car' until the bird is caught.
Expert Opinions
The Scottish SPCA suggests the behaviour could be natural, as some parakeets strip bark and leaves for nesting during breeding season, or it could indicate stress or frustration. However, Highland Council stated that parakeets are wild birds and not their responsibility. NatureScot said the bird is 'almost certain to be an escaped pet', making it the owner's responsibility to retrieve it. They can provide advice or traps but would only intervene to prevent an invasive non-native species from becoming established.
Ring-necked parakeets were first confirmed breeding in Glasgow in 2017 and have bred most years since.
