[Animals] Argentine parrots, an invasive species with its own voice

[FNX Magokiler]

It is possible that when touring large Spanish cities such as Madrid, Barcelona or Malaga, you may have been struck by seeing a small green and gray bird that moves in a group and together emanates a noise that many may find annoying. It is of the Argentine parrots (Myiopsitta monachus), a species cataloged since 2011 as an invasive species in Spain.

Now, new research carried out by the prestigious Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and the Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona and published in October in the Royal Society, reveals that Argentine parrots have their own vocal imprint. The study has combined recordings of these animals' songs and artificial intelligence to shed more light on a species that has sometimes sparked controversy in Spain.

According to Blas Molina, a biologist and ornithologist from the environmental NGO SEO/BirdLife (the Spanish Society of Ornithology), with more than 25 years of experience, the Argentine parrot (also called gray parrot) arrived in the Iberian Peninsula at the end of the 20th century, "possibly that name comes from because they were marketed from Argentina, but it has been proposed to change it, this species also lives in other areas of South America such as Brazil, Uruguay or Paraguay," says Molina, who usually teaches courses with SEO/BirdLife to achieve identify birds by their song.

The city life of Argentine parrots

 

The National Wildlife Federation indicates that invasive exotic species are a problem because they cause ecological, economic and/or health damage in the habitats where they establish themselves and where they are not native. In the specific case of parrots, biologists from the Doñana Biological Station have stated that their growth skyrocketed exponentially a few years ago. Lacking predators and having abundant food, these birds multiply and cause problems in crops, treetops and many others.

The second and last National Census of the Argentine Parakeet published in 2022 by SEO/BirLife provided very interesting data to know the po[CENSORED]tion and distribution throughout Spain of the Argentine parakeet, which is often confused with the Kramer's parakeet (Psittacula krameri ), originally from Africa. The evolution of the species in Spain has been uneven; There have been declines or disappearance in some cities, but there has also been an expansion in other urban centers. The SEO/BirLife count totaled more than 7,000 nests and a po[CENSORED]tion of between 18,000 and 21,000 individuals in large cities such as Madrid, Barcelona and Malaga.

Juan Carlos Senar, doctor in Biology and Head of Research at the Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona and co-author of the study on the vocal imprint of the species, explains that for his study he took advantage of how accustomed Argentine parrots are to life urban. “They can be seen a lot, you can get up to about five meters because they are very familiar with human beings; This allows us to record and mark them.

 

https://www.nationalgeographic.es/animales/2023/11/cotorras-argentinas-especie-invasora-voz-propia