A radiotelemetry study of habitat use by the exotic Ring-necked Parakeet Psittacula krameri in Belgium

Little is known about the foraging ecology of invasive bird species in Europe. We used radio-telemetry to assess home-ranges of breeding male Ring-necked Parakeets in Brussels. Results indicate that parakeets primarily forage in parks and gardens while avoiding forests. This can probably be explained by the higher food availability in anthropogenic habitats and fits a general pattern that invasive species generally select heavily altered environments.