Monk parakeet: invasive, noisy, and fiercely defended by its fans

The monk parakeet: between rescue and the shotgun
A fledgling monk parakeet, exhausted and harassed by dogs, is picked up by a private individual who feeds it blueberries and watermelon. The bird responds with affection, climbing onto their hand. The scene could be the start of a happy pet story, but this species is one of the most damaging invaders in Spain, and the debate over what to do with it —rescue it or destroy it— divides those who come across one.

A green and yellow invasion that won't stop
The monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) has been settled in Spanish cities for decades. Tens of thousands of birds are estimated to live there, concentrated mainly in urban parks in Madrid, Barcelona and along the Mediterranean coast. They build communal twig nests in palm trees and structures; their morning racket and their ability to displace other birds have made them a target for the authorities. The Seprona, the environmental unit of Spain's Guardia Civil, has orders to destroy them where they cause agricultural or safety problems.

But when an injured bird turns up in a garden, reactions are not unanimous. Some argue for letting it die —"nothing would happen anyway, same as with the chickens we eat"— while others prefer to take it to a rescue association, such as Barcelona-based S.O.S Cotorras. Meanwhile, in the countryside, some landowners admit they "shoot them with a carbine" without a second thought.

Pet or pest? Two ways of seeing the same animal
The contrast is as stark as the bird's beak. Those who keep one at home praise its intelligence, its ability to mimic sounds and the bond it forms with humans; it can eat vegetable purée, rice, lettuce, even omelette. Those who suffer it in the countryside call it "annoying and screeching", and point out that it is an invasive alien species that damages crops and the nests of native wildlife.

The rules are clear: keeping a monk parakeet as a pet has been banned since the species was added to the Spanish Catalogue of Invasive Alien Species (2013). But already-domesticated birds may be kept with registration, and one-off rescues fall into a grey area: is it ethical to raise in captivity an animal that shouldn't be here at all?

A dilemma with no easy answer
While neighbours argue on forums and social media, the reality is that the monk parakeet population keeps growing. Official control is hampered by limited resources and the lack of a coordinated national strategy. Individual rescue, however well-intentioned, does nothing to slow the invasion. And systematic culling clashes with the sensibilities of those who already see the bird as a companion.

Is it more consistent to let a parakeet chick die or to shoot it as an adult? The question remains open, and every discovery of an injured bird reopens the gap between the heart and the invasive species catalogue.