Londoners might not expect to spot a flash of green darting through the trees in the capital but those who keep their eyes peeled might be rewarded with a glimpse of an extraordinary bright green bird: the ring-necked parakeet.
Wildlife photographer Jacob Rheams has been spending lots of time observing these birds as part of his university project and shared his spellbinding footage on Instagram.
“These bright green birds are quite obviously not supposed to be here in the UK,” says Rheams in one post about the colourful birds.
Ring-necked parakeets were first recorded in London in the 1960s. There are now around 12,000 breeding pairs in the UK.
“Over the years, as a result of people releasing their pets or them just escaping from people’s homes, these parakeets have come to take over our urban areas here in the UK,” he says.
Rheams must have a penchant for a pop of colour as he recently captured an unreal-looking rainbow sea slug in Cornwall.
Image and video credits: Jacob Rheams, @jjrheams.photography
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