Chiswick wildlife

Parakeets are originally from India. So why are they able to survive - and thrive - here?

Bedecked with emerald green feathers and a rose-red beak, the ring-neck parakeet brings a touch of tropical glamour to suburban gardens in London and the South East. There have also been sightings in the North West and in Scotland.

How does a bird that looks more suited to warmer climes cope in the UK?

"They actually originate from the foothills of the Himalayas, so they don't need it to be that warm to live comfortably," says Andre Farrar of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

The Japanese banana tree also does well...