In the greenish corners of the superior of Greece Athens, galore Parrots various species brought from tropics. These agleam and large birds person go the usual portion of the scenery of metropolis parks, squares and streets.
Although their autochthonal habitats are the tropical forests of South America and Asia, the parrots person a large adapted to the soft Mediterranean climatefinding a structure among Athenian greenery.
Why were the parrots chose Athens
The municipality situation of Athens, reproducing effect trees, such arsenic citrusmulberry and olives, arsenic well arsenic nationalist gardens and parks, creates perfect conditions for these tropical birds. Panayotis Latsudisan adept connected forestry, a teacher and subordinate of the Greece Ornithological Society, shared the causes of parrots successful the superior and their successful organisation with journalists.
According to Lasudis, parrots appeared successful Athens due to the fact that of trade successful exotic animals and birds. “All of them came present due to the fact that of the trade of wild animals. Some escaped from the cells, others were released by the owners who were bushed of the pets. They adapted to the municipality situation and began to multiply “– helium explained.
The past of the quality of parrots
A special relation was played by a lawsuit successful the 1980s, when successful the country of Elliniko, connected the territory of the aged airport, a ample batch of parrots intended for merchantability was connected the territory of the aged airport. Due to problems with customs clearance, they were simply released. Later, they were joined by different parrots antecedently kept successful houses, but besides released. So these birds became the changeless inhabitants of the metropolis ecosystem.
Lasudis noted that parrots usually bash not alert further two kilometers During the day, but implicit clip they settled successful galore areas of Athens.
Why parks, not forests
Interestingly, the parrots preferred metropolis parks, and not adjacent forests. Lasudis explains this by the information that predators hunt successful the forests, while the metropolis ensures the information and abundance of food. “Exotic plants for scenery plan are planted successful municipality parks, which creates perfect conditions for tropical birds”– helium added.
What types of parrots unrecorded successful Athens
Different types of parrots unrecorded successful Athens:
- Necklaces (green) – the astir communal species, is recovered not lone successful Athens (more than 1000 individuals) and Thessaloniki (about 500).
- Alexandrian parrotswhich is casual to admit by reddish marks connected the wings.
- Gray parrots oregon monks' parrots From Latin America, unique successful that they physique their ain nests. “Unlike different species that inhabit acceptable -made hollows, the monks themselves physique dwellings”– Lasudis explained.
- Senegal parrot From Africa, which, however, is hard to adapt. “This year I did not spot him astatine all”– said the expert.
Parrots and city: Is there a threat
Lasudis assured that parrots bash not airs a information to people. The lone imaginable occupation is if they statesman to harm cultivation crops successful the suburbs, arsenic has already happened successful some European countries. “So far, there are nary such problems successful Athens, since effect trees successful the metropolis supply birds with food”– helium specified.
So that the parrots bash not inhabit the nests of different birds, the municipality sets Artificial nestsespecially for species that bash not cognize however to physique their own.
“When asked whether they are harmful to the quality of Greece, there is nary unequivocal answer, – says the ornithologist Leutheris Stavkas. “And this is not a Greek phenomenon.” Parrots are communal passim Europe. In London, Brussels, Amsterdam, thousands of parrots were released akin to Athenian. At some point, there were so galore successful Barcelona that the metropolis declared war connected them, due to the fact that they destroyed the harvest and ate it.
When whole flocks alert connected the field, they devastate it. In South America, the occupation is serious, arsenic successful India, but here, though we bash not person a ample fig of research, we did not spot immoderate damage. They bash not destruct the crop, due to the fact that extracurricular the Athens they bash not gain “not a dime.” Even successful Luts, where gray-green parrots are found, they roam astir the city, and bash not spell into the fields. They find a spread and capable it. Theoretically, greenish parrots could vie with such birds arsenic a wagtail, an owl and a hawk, which besides request holes and cavities for nesting.
Other birds of Athens
In summation to parrots, different birds unrecorded successful Athens, which attracts ornithologists and lovers. For illustration hoopoeuseful successful that it destroys the caterpillars that harm conifer trees, oversea haircuts, jams, crows, starlings and nightingales … During migrations successful the city, migratory species appear, such arsenic a zaryanka, a thin-fenger and flycatter.
And of course, where without municipality pigeons, the main “rats” of Greek garbage.
The value of birds for the city
Panayotis Latsudis He emphasized the value of birds for the ecology and the spiritual state of the inhabitants. “For me, a large happiness to spot however the metropolis lives, however affluent it is birds. More recently, exotic species were rare, and present they person go portion of Athens. Meeting them successful bustle of time is pleasance and privilege “– helium summed up.
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