It Looks Like The Game Is Up,

for some of the UK's unwelcome guests,

not these ring necked parakeets from Asia I have featured on the blog before, but a new deadly invader,

Monk Parakeets, sometimes called Quaker Parrot (Myiopsitts monachus), from Latin America, the danger it appears is that unlike other parrots, they use sticks to build huge colony nests on the outside of trees or pylons that can reach the size of a small car, in the US, monk parakeets are reported to have caused costly and dangerous power shortages, fires, problems with electricity transmission and crop damage,

no serious damage has so far been reported in the UK, but the birds' numbers – currently estimated to be about 100-150 – are expected to rise dramatically, to combat this plans by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to exterminate the bird, bringing to an end its short-lived residence in Britain, Defra's culling policy was decided in December 2010, but Defra has yet to make it known to the public, a spokesperson said: 'this invasive species has caused significant damage in other countries through nesting and feeding activity, and we are taking action now to prevent this happening in the UK,' Defra argues that non-native species cost the British economy £1.7bn every year, this figure is based on a Defra-sponsored report called The Economic Cost of Invasive Non-Native Species to Great Britain, however, according the report, the total cost of parakeets in Britain is only £10,000 each year – so far, in case you are wondering where the £1.7bn cost of invasive species comes from, here is the list,

Grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) notorious usurpers of the smaller, native red squirrel, greys were introduced from the US at the start of the 20th century and have squeezed red squirrels out of most of the UK. According to the Forestry Commission, there are currently 2.5 million grey squirrels, compared with a native red population of only 140,000.

Red-eared terrapin (Trachemys scripta elegans), these antisocial reptiles were rounded up and deported from London six years ago after terrorising ducks in a local park. They are exported from the US and bought as pets, and often released into the wild by irresponsible owners. It is thought that rising temperatures could increase their breeding potential in Britain.

American mink (Neovison vison) originally bred for their fur, large numbers of these voracious carnivores escaped and have now firmly established themselves in the UK. They are a major threat to native populations of water fowl, ground-nesting birds, small mammals and fish, all of which are lunch for a mink. They have been subject to culling in Scotland.

Muntjac deer (Muntiacus reevesi), introduced from south-east Asia as ornamental deer for aristocratic gardens, these irrepressible breeders quickly spread into the British countryside and woodland. They are now becoming more common in towns and cities. It has been claimed that they damage woodland areas by eating saplings.

Eagle owl (Bubo bubo) a small number of these powerful predators, native in most of the Eurasian landmass, are known to breed in Britain. It is believed that the British breeding pairs were released or escaped from captive collections. Farmers fear they pose a threat to livestock.

Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis), first recorded in the River Thames in 1935, these troublesome freshwater crustaceans arrived in Britain in trade ships. Now firmly established along many of Britain's rivers, their burrowed homes weaken the structural integrity of riverbanks, threatening other semi-aquatic species,

but there is one piece of good news for the Monk Parakeet, it cuts down the number of pigeons, in Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, it has been noted that where the parrots are pigeons disappear, or at least they are displaced, the good news is that the parrots droppings do not damage the structure they nest on, where as the pigeons were highly corrosive to statues where the birds built their nests, this is the first documented case of the monk parrots being used to displace another species for the benefit of mankind!