Gardeners struggling with noisy parakeets scaring off robins and other small birds can solve the problem by switching to three specific foods, according to wildlife experts. Parakeets, which have lived wild in Britain since the 1960s, often visit gardens in large flocks and intimidate smaller native species.
Robins, which feed alone, are particularly vulnerable and may abandon feeders, risking starvation during winter. The solution, says Ark Wildlife, is to avoid foods that attract parakeets, such as peanuts and sunflower seeds, and instead offer niger seeds, millet, or crushed fat and suet pellets.
Parakeets have large beaks designed for cracking big seeds and prefer clustered food they can grab quickly. They avoid tiny, fiddly items like niger seeds and millet, which smaller birds with delicate beaks can eat easily. Fat or suet products are also unappealing to parakeets.
Additional tactics include placing feeders low to the ground or under bushes, where parakeets feel vulnerable but robins feel safe. Topping up feeders early in the morning also helps, as small birds feed earlier than parakeets. Caged or weight-activated feeders can further deter parakeets.
