Fuengirola declares war on parakeets in face of a 'worrying' increase in population

The problem with parrots on the Costa del Sol is not new. It was in the 1970s and 1980s when the trend to buy these species from subtropical areas of South America first began

Lorena Cádiz

Fuengirola

Tuesday, 11 February 2025, 13:17

The old one-year contract signed by Fuengirola's town hall to tackle the problem with the growing population of invasive monk parrots, also known as parakeets, expires in March. Now, authorities are putting it out to tender once again, with a budget of 79,408 euros and a two-year period of execution.

The problem with parrots on the Costa del Sol, in particular with the Argentinian monk parrot and the so-called kramer monk parrot, is not new. It was in the 1970s and 1980s when the trend to buy these species from subtropical areas of South America first began. Complications started once the trend had passed and the owners began to release their birds, at the same time as other specimens escaped and settled in the parks and wooded areas of municipalities along the Costa.

Their ability to reproduce meant that, in a short period of time, the population grew so much that it became a problem due to the damage they cause to native species, in addition to hygiene and health issues.

For that reason, Fuengirola town hall has decided to take action in the face of the "worrying trend" of population growth. "The current contract for the bird population control service expires on 25 March. Therefore, there is a need to ensure the continuity of the contracted service, as the parakeet has become a problem for the conservation of biodiversity in the parks and green areas of Fuengirola and a risk due to the danger of falling nests and branches of the trees that house them," explained a document issued by the town hall.

"Their easy adaptation to the different habitats they colonise and their high reproductive success rate mean that the population is growing every year. In view of this upward trend and the constant complaints from neighbours who suffer the nuisance caused by the birds' behaviour, it is necessary for the Fuengirola town hall to take action, in accordance with current legislation," states the document.

The bids of various companies that have applied for the contract are being evaluated at the moment. A main requirement they need to fulfil establishes that they must specify and justify the different capture methods that they plan to implement, as well as the operations related to the control of breeding. They must also provide the methodology to be followed from the capture of specimens to their incineration.

Municipal sources clarify that the capture will be carried out with cages, as has been done until now, and not with other more aggressive systems used in other large towns cities, such as shooting them with pellets.

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