According to the BBC, the 100 or so monk parakeets living in the wild in the UK are to be removed by Defra, one way or another. That means preferably housing them in aviaries but could mean shooting them. It is feared they could become a major pest if allowed to prosper.

They should not be confused with the ring-necked parakeets that are more commonly seen in fair abundance in the South, squawking through the trees. The main difference is that the monk parakeet has a pale grey face and chest, whereas the ring-necked parakeet is almost entirely green apart from the eponymous dark-rose-coloured ring around its neck.