A female eclectus parrot casts a quizzical look at the camera. Although most male birds are flashier than their female counterparts, the female eclectus flaunts cherry red plumage and the male ...

with an estimated 40,000 pet African Grey Parrots in the UK. They’re among the most intelligent animals kept as pets – one study found they have the reasoning powers of a three-year-old child.

Intentional releases may have also been encouraged in 1929-1931 and 1952 when fatal "parrot fever" hit the headlines. The bright green non-native ring-necked parakeets now thrive across the UK.