Parakeets chirp in Istanbul streets

ISTANBUL

Parakeets have come out to play in the normally-busy spots in Istanbul after vehicle and pedestrian traffic declined in the city due to measures taken against the spread of the COVID-19.

Parakeets, which fly in many areas of Istanbul and attract attention due to the sounds they make, began to nest in the streets of the Avcılar district, where the apartments are very close to each other, and the green areas are relatively limited.

It was surprising that parrots, which generally nest in green areas in Beşiktaş’s Maçka Park, the Emirgan neighborhood and along the Bosphorus, are also seen on residential areas, such as the Avcılar and Küçükçekmece districts.

The parakeets’ chirps, which are known to increase efforts to find mates with the arrival of spring, continue throughout the day and the night.

The parakeets have been spotted in Istanbul trees for two decades, with officials saying that this type of parakeet has existed in Istanbul since 1992.

Some researchers, however, say that these parakeets began to populate Turkey after they were first brought to Istanbul by animal sellers in 1997.

Around 200 parakeets are said to have escaped from their cages at Istanbul’s Atatürk International Airport.

The ring-necked parakeet, known as Alexandrine parakeets, is a tropical Afro-Asian species that have a vast range.

Since the population trend appears to be increasing, the species was evaluated as being of “Least Concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2009.