The Legal International Wildlife Trade Favours Invasive Species Establishment: The Monk and Ring-Necked Parakeets in Spain

Abstract

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The monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) as a potential pest for agriculture in the Mediterranean basin

“…Nonetheless, we should consider that the monk parakeet is also spreading to rural habitats in other areas of the Mediterranean basin (Postigo et al 2017;Herna ´ndez-Brito et al 2020) and that models predict the potential for much higher habitat occupancy (Mun ˜oz and Real 2006). In addition, its population is growing exponentially in many cities of the Mediterranean basin (Dome `nech et al 2003;Postigo et al 2017Postigo et al , 2019Souviron-Priego et al 2018). It is also notable that the damage in our study was produced by a small number of birds, as the estimated population utilizing the study site was below 22 individuals.…”

“…The monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) is currently one of the most successful invasive bird species. Native to South America, it has been introduced to four continents (Avery 2020), and its population is growing quickly in many areas, particularly in North America and the Mediterranean basin (Dome `nech et al 2003;Strubbe and Matthysen 2009;Postigo et al 2017;Souviron-Priego et al 2018). It is considered a pest in its natural range, consuming a wide range of crops producing grains, fruits, and vegetables (Canavelli et al 2012;Avery 2020).…”

Accelerated avian invasion into the Mediterranean region endangers biodiversity and mandates international collaboration

“…Despite this call for alarm, current national and international policy strategies have failed to curtail the range expansion of most introduced species (Pyšek et al, 2020). In the Mediterranean, past avian introductions have already resulted in successful invasions, leading to established or breeding populations of alien species such as the ruddy duck Oxyura jamaicensis (Muñoz‐Fuentes et al, 2006; Robertson et al, 2015), the rose‐ringed parakeet Psittacula krameri (Pârâu et al, 2016; Souviron‐Priego et al, 2018; Strubbe & Matthysen, 2009), the monk parakeet Myiopsitta monachus (Postigo et al, 2019; Strubbe & Matthysen, 2009), the red‐vented bulbul Pycnonotus cafer (Nowakowski & Dulisz, 2019) or the crested myna Acridotheres cristatellus (Elias, 2021), among others. These alien species have already been shown to detrimentally affect local species in several ways, including hybridizing with endangered species (Hughes et al, 2006), competing over resources (Charter et al, 2016; Colléony & Shwartz, 2020; Hernández‐Brito et al, 2014; Menchetti et al, 2014; Orchan et al, 2013) and altering the native plant communities (Menchetti & Mori, 2014).…”

“The Unbearable Green Demon”: A Critical Analysis of Press Representation around the Extermination of Monk Parakeets in Madrid

“…Monk parakeets were therefore brought to Spain because of legal and illegal wildlife and pet trade, and they were able to adapt to urban ecosystems after release or escape (Martín Pajares 2006;Edelaar et al 2015;Abellán et al 2016;Souviron-Priego et al 2018;Calzada Preston et al 2021). The dimension of the global problem of human export of nonhuman animals is huge, and the case of monk parakeets is good evidence of it.…”

“…Years after its introduction, this species of parrots has been able to adapt and survive in urban environments after its deliberate or accidental liberation and escape (Souviron-Priego et al 2018). The monk parakeet species (Myiopsitta monachus) was included in the Spanish Catalog of Invasive Exotic Species in 2013 in Royal Decree 630/2013 (Carrasco Núñez 2014).…”