Abstract
Introduced population of ring-necked parakeets Psittacula krameri in Madeira Island, Portugal – Call for early action
Highlights
The human driven spread of species outside their native ranges is regarded as a significant threat to biodiversity, especially in vulnerable insular ecosystems where invasive mammalian predators are harmful (Didham et al 2005; Doherty et al 2016)
We aim to (1) describe the incursion of ringnecked parakeets in Madeira Island, (2) discuss the ecological and economic impacts that can arise from this introduction and (3) advocate for a precautionary approach to this potential threat
The apparent reduction in the number of observed individuals of ringnecked parakeets since 2014 seems to match a period of potential food scarcity, due to considerable damage caused by invasive red palm weevils Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier, 1790) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on Canary Island date palms Phoenix canariensis H
Summary
The human driven spread of species outside their native ranges is regarded as a significant threat to biodiversity, especially in vulnerable insular ecosystems where invasive mammalian predators are harmful (Didham et al 2005; Doherty et al 2016). Exotic psittacids are one of the most frequently introduced bird groups, with several species known to have successfully established new populations outside their native ranges, often with adverse ecological and economic consequences (Blackburn et al 2009; Runde et al 2007). The ring-necked ( rose-ringed) parakeet Psittacula krameri is a highly gregarious bird native to sub-Saharan Africa and much of southern Asia (Cramp 1998) It is a medium-sized (40 cm, total body length including the tail feathers) predominantly green parrot with a large red bill, and a very long graduated tail (14.0–28.4 cm) that accounts for more than half of the bird’s total length (Butler and Gosler 2004).
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