Goshawks’ comeback could see them hunting invasive parakeets in Britain’s suburbs

Britain’s recovering goshawk population is spreading into suburban woodlands and parks, prompting experts to warn the powerful raptors may begin preying on established non‑native ring‑necked parakeets. Conservationists say the development could mirror peregrines’ recent urban dietary shifts, but emphasise careful monitoring to understand wider impacts on city ecosystems.

Britain’s thriving population of non‑native ring‑necked parakeets may soon face an unexpected new predator as goshawks — a powerful woodland raptor — extend their range and numbers. Conservationists and ornithologists say the birds of prey, once persecuted to near extinction in Britain, are recovering and dispersing into suburbs and the fringes of cities where parakeets are now abundant. According to the original report, experts suggest goshawks could begin to include parakeets in their diet in much the same way peregrine falcons already do. (The Mail on Sunday quoted Hazel Jackson of the UK Centre for Hydrology and Ecology saying goshawks “might take advantage” of parakeets as a food source.)

Ring‑necked parakeets are well established across southern Britain, especially in London and the south‑east. Natural History Museum research and past estimates from the British Trust for Ornithology indicate substantial numbers — the BTO has estimated roughly 12,000 breeding pairs, while post‑breeding counts have at times recorded more than 30,000 individual birds — and the species exploits parks, large gardens and mature trees for food and nesting. Their urban ecology — feeding on seeds, fruit and buds and nesting in cavities — makes them both conspicuous and resilient in built‑up areas. The Museum also notes that a range of native predators, from peregrines to sparrowhawks and tawny owls, already take parakeets on occasion, and that nest raid by grey squirrels can be a threat too.

There is precedent for rapidly adaptable urban raptors altering their diets when conditions change. A BBC study of peregrine falcons during the 2020 Covid lockdown found that as pigeon numbers in cities fell, peregrines shifted their prey mix — pigeons dropped from around half of observed prey to nearer 35 per cent, while parakeets rose to account for about 18 per cent. Researchers framed this as evidence of urban raptors’ dietary flexibility and their potential to exert local control over non‑native bird populations.

Goshawks themselves have an established history of recovery in Britain. The RSPB describes the species as a fast, agile woodland hunter that was largely wiped out by persecution but has recovered since the mid‑20th century; the BTO’s recent research reports the UK population increasing to more than a thousand breeding pairs and documents ongoing range expansion. Those recoveries are attributed in part to escapes and releases from falconry in the 1960s and 1970s and to legal protection since. The species’ principal prey in woodlands tends to be pigeons, corvids, squirrels and rabbits, but goshawks are opportunistic and hunt wherever dense cover and prey coincide.

Urban goshawks are not merely theoretical: across continental Europe they are already an urban presence. Reporting from Berlin and other cities shows goshawks exploiting parks, cemeteries and tree‑lined streets, taking advantage of plentiful pigeons, corvids and rodents and nesting in large trees. The Guardian’s feature on Berlin recounted how the city’s wooded structure supports unusually high densities — roughly a hundred pairs have been reported — illustrating that large, green urban spaces can sustain even apex avian predators.

Local sighting records and community reporting corroborate the impression of expansion around London. eBird alerts and regional records list recent goshawk reports from Surrey, West Sussex and marshland reserves on the Thames fringe, consistent with observers’ accounts of young dispersing birds exploring new habitats. Field ornithologists say such records are exactly the sort of early signs that precede more permanent colonisation of city suburbs if prey and nesting opportunities persist.

Not all experts assume an immediate, dramatic shift in predator–prey dynamics. Goshawks remain relatively secretive and prefer wooded areas, so their arrival in densely built inner‑city neighbourhoods is not guaranteed; RSPB guidance highlights that they favour large woods and are still vulnerable to illegal persecution and nest‑robbery. Nevertheless, some observers are cautious about the ecological implications: increasing goshawk numbers could help control superabundant pigeon and parakeet populations locally, but any change in predation pressure has knock‑on effects for other species and urban wildlife management.

Voices quoted in the original reporting emphasised both possibility and uncertainty. Conor Mark Jameson, author of Looking for the Goshawk, told The Mail on Sunday he expected goshawks to appear in parks around cities including London, Bath and Glasgow within a few years. Andy Evans of the RSPB told the same paper that “with continued protections” goshawks may become as familiar in London as they are in some European cities. BTO researchers and Natural History Museum scientists stress the need for continued monitoring to understand whether shifting distributions will translate into sustained predation on parakeets or only occasional, opportunistic feeding.

If goshawks do become more common in suburban and urban green spaces, managers face a familiar trade‑off: conserving a recovering native predator while assessing its effects on a well‑established non‑native species and on broader urban biodiversity. For now, experts urge careful, evidence‑based monitoring rather than alarm, noting that past studies of peregrines and real‑time records show how flexible urban food webs can be — and how rapidly they can change when a predator reappears.

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Source: Noah Wire Services

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score:
8

Notes:
The narrative appears to be recent, with no evidence of prior publication. The Daily Mail article was published on August 10, 2025, and no substantially similar content was found in recent searches. The report is based on a press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score. However, the lack of coverage by other reputable outlets within the past week suggests limited dissemination. The inclusion of updated data alongside older material may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged.

Quotes check

Score:
9

Notes:
The quotes attributed to Hazel Jackson and Conor Mark Jameson are not found in earlier material, indicating potential originality. However, without direct access to the original press release, it’s challenging to confirm the exclusivity of these quotes.

Source reliability

Score:
6

Notes:
The narrative originates from The Daily Mail, a reputable UK newspaper. However, the lack of corroboration from other reputable outlets raises questions about the reliability of the information. The report is based on a press release, which typically warrants a high freshness score but may not always indicate thorough journalistic investigation.

Plausability check

Score:
7

Notes:
The claim that goshawks may prey on ring-necked parakeets is plausible, given the goshawk’s recovery in Britain and its known predation on various bird species. However, the absence of supporting details from other reputable outlets and the lack of specific factual anchors in the narrative reduce the score. The tone and language used are consistent with typical journalistic reporting, but the lack of corroboration raises concerns.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM

Summary:
The narrative presents a plausible claim about goshawks potentially preying on ring-necked parakeets, supported by quotes from experts. However, the lack of corroboration from other reputable outlets and the reliance on a press release without independent verification raise concerns about the information’s reliability. The absence of supporting details and specific factual anchors further diminishes confidence in the narrative’s accuracy.