London's Rose-Ringed Parakeets
wild parrots over the london plane trees
Flocks of wild bright green parrots that have colonised London's parks, a free and surreal splash of the tropics in the English sky.
Free to visit · Various · Richmond · TW10 5HS
Opening: Daylight hours, year round
One of the most surreal free sights in London is also one of the easiest to find, great flocks of wild rose-ringed parakeets, bright emerald green with long tails and a raucous screech, wheeling over the parks. Nobody is quite sure how they got here, with theories ranging from escapees from a film set to birds released by Jimi Hendrix, but they have thrived for decades and now number in the tens of thousands.
They are boldest in the bigger parks, especially Richmond Park, Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, where they will swoop down to feed from an outstretched hand. Watching a flash of tropical green flicker through a grey London sky is a free, genuinely uplifting bit of urban wildlife, and proof the city is wilder than it looks.
Bring a few sunflower seeds or an apple and stand still near the feeding spots that the regulars know, and you may get a parakeet to land on your hand. It is free, a little chaotic and a delight for children and adults alike.
Getting there: Best seen in Richmond Park, Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park and Greenwich Park, among others.
Best time to go: Early morning or late afternoon when the flocks are noisiest and most active.
Insider tip: Head to Kensington Gardens near the Italian Gardens or into Richmond Park, where the parakeets are tamest, and bring an apple or some seeds. Early morning and late afternoon are when the flocks are busiest and loudest.
Free things to do in London · London Free Guide