Madrid will exterminate Argentine parrots | "Threat …

The municipality of Madrid confirmed that it was going to exterminate the Argentine parrots, which were spreading in the parks of the Spanish capital, to consider it an invasive species that "threatens the ecosystem and the safety of the inhabitants". According to the authorities, the plan to hunt and sacrifice the 12,000 copies living in the city will cost around 100,000 euros.

In a statement, the mayor of Madrid said that he would seek to "reduce and control the population of these winged people in the capital" by "ethical sacrifices and sterilization of eggs". "They have become a concern for the citizens and we have received many complaints"Borja Carabante, the city's environmental delegate, explained.

Among the main complaints, residents reported "annoying noise" in reference to parrot chatter, which is usually of a high tone. According to the Biodiversity Department of Madrid, they reported that they were transmitting diseases to other birds, eating their food and hunting other species. In the last three years, the Argentine parrot population in Madrid has increased by 33%.

"It's a bug that gets used very well to conditions that are not its own. He has adapted because he is very intelligent. In addition, it feeds on many things and takes advantage of any other food or vegetable, "said Santiago Soria Carreras, head of the Biodiversity Department.

Another concern of the municipality is the size of their nests that are built in the treetops and can weigh 200 kilos. "It's a risk in case of a fall for citizens," they added.

The plan of extermination also emphasizes that parrots compete "for food with other species", have a "predatory activity" and damage "to the stems and tender shoots of the vegetation with which they nest," the statement said.

It is believed that the traditional Argentine parrots, with green plumage, arrived for the first time in the Spanish capital as pets. Then they were released and proliferated in the parks.

"All control of animals hurts me first, but we must understand that it is for the greater good, that is to say to protect the flora and fauna of the species. who should be here, we do not know what can happen if we do not manage to reduce the population, but it is certain that this will displace our wildlife and that the possibility that a nest will cause a serious accident will be greater ", he told the newspaper El País Soria Carreras.