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How do I attract parakeets?

DamhahDamhah Posts: 43
in Wildlife gardening
Hello,

I have a few parakeets on the big apple tree about 20 meters away, but they never visit my bird feeders. Is there a way to attract them?

Thanks,
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Posts

  • wild edgeswild edges The north west of south east WalesPosts: 8,877
    I've no idea but I'm very jealous that you even get them that close. What kind of food do you have in your feeders?
    Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people
  • Kia-MenaKia-Mena Posts: 16
    Be careful what you wish for! We are inundated with parakeets and not only do they empty the feeders in a flash but they can easily damage beyond salvage all but the most robust models. Our highest count in the garden at any one time was 42 but there are always at least a dozen mooching around the trees. They stripped the magnolia of most of its buds this year and we haven't managed to grow an apple to full size for at least two years now. They are beautiful birds though and are very entertaining to watch 😊
  • DamhahDamhah Posts: 43
    The starlings are messy eaters and often drop most of the food, I would love to have parakeets, my kids will like it for sure.

    I only have one feeder, suet block, my garden is concrete and I have to deal with a lot of bird poo, so i am confining it to one corner, mainly get starling, one or two great/coal tit and wood pigeons, and a magpie who almost caught a wood pigeon yesterday. 

    Looking online, they seem to like peanuts so I will get a peanut feeder today as well.
  • DamhahDamhah Posts: 43
    Kia-Mena said:
    Be careful what you wish for! We are inundated with parakeets and not only do they empty the feeders in a flash but they can easily damage beyond salvage all but the most robust models. Our highest count in the garden at any one time was 42 but there are always at least a dozen mooching around the trees. They stripped the magnolia of most of its buds this year and we haven't managed to grow an apple to full size for at least two years now. They are beautiful birds though and are very entertaining to watch 😊
    what feeders do they prefer?
  • Kia-MenaKia-Mena Posts: 16
    They prefer sunflower hearts more than anything else but make sure to use a feeder with metal fittings as they will destroy a plastic one very quickly. 
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 33,315
    I'm in the " be careful what you wish for " camp. 
    Their constant screeching does my head in.
    Devon.
  • LynLyn DevonPosts: 21,143
    Sounds like they prefer flower buds and young fruits😀
    i wouldn’t want them in my garden.
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Kia-MenaKia-Mena Posts: 16

  • FireFire North LondonPosts: 17,116
    They do my head in too. We have flocks of them screeching. They are thugs that chase off other birds and hang on the feeders all day and shake out all the feed with their bodyweight.


  • DamhahDamhah Posts: 43
    You two are making me cry lol... Would love to have them... The starlings are bullying some of the other smaller birds in my garden but then the magpie vimco and shows who is boss
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