The soundscapes of cities are always changing and London is no exception. Human-produced sounds usually push the sounds of nature into the background, but the shrill calls of parakeets have been increasingly cutting through the noise in the London suburbs over the years. How these exotic birds arrived in England is still a mystery, but they have flourished in their new home. Learn more about how these birds have been a blessing and a burden in the lives of Londoners with the help of Everything Sounds contributor, Max Owens, and Tim Webb (@BirdWebb) from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

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Watch a short BBC Story about London’s Parakeets:

Episode photo by Flickr user Airwolfhound

Episode Note: In the episode, we state that Chinook salmon were introduced to Lake Michigan to control the alewife population. We have since learned that a second species, the coho salmon, was also introduced. We apologize for omitting this information.