Post by hi224 on Dec 15, 2019 19:39:24 GMT
Ornithologists can be pretty dogged when it comes to an avian mystery...
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Criminology techniques such as geo-profiling helped scientists debunk the popular myths that parakeets were introduced to the UK
1) during the filming of the Humphrey Bogart & Katherine Hepburn film The African Queen (1951), and/or
2) by Jimi Hendrix releasing them in the 1960s.
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Parakeet migration mystery solved as Bogart and Hendrix myths debunked
Dec. 12, 2019 ~ Metro Science Reporter
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Scientists believe they have busted the myths that parakeets were introduced to the UK by Jimi Hendrix, or during the filming of a Humphrey Bogart film.
Using geographic profiling scientists mapped half a century of sightings of the bright green birds (Psittacula krameri). They found no evidence to support any of the myths surrounding the birds’ origins in the UK, according to the study published in the Journal of Zoology.
The brightly-coloured bird has been in Britain for decades, although it is unclear how they were first introduced. One theory is they were refugees from the film set of The African Queen, shot in Ealing in 1951, while another is that a pair were released by Hendrix on Carnaby Street, central London, in the 1960s.
Another theory suggests the winged-creatures kept at Syon Park escaped in the 1970s when a plane crashed through the aviary roof, while another blames damage to aviaries during the Great Storm of 1987.
This is despite sightings dating back to the 1869s, scientists say. A new spatial analysis, backed by an extensive search of archived newspaper articles, found that Britain’s booming parakeet population has actually grown from numerous small-scale accidental and intentional pet releases.
Researchers from from Queen Mary University of London, UCL, and Goldsmiths, University of London conclude that intentional releases may have been encouraged from 1929-1931, and in 1952 by dramatic media coverage of fatal ‘parrot fever’ outbreaks.
Scientists used geographic profiling to analyse spatial patterns of parakeet sightings. The statistical technique was originally developed in criminology to prioritise large lists of suspects in cases of serial crime.
Worton Hall Studios, where the Bogart and Katharine Hepburn classic was filmed, Syon Park, and Carnaby Street did not show up prominently in the geoprofile of more than 5,000 unique records dating from 1968 to 2018.
Geographic profiling typically maps crime sites, like the location of murder victims’ bodies. This is overlaid on a map of the area of interest to produce a geoprofile and narrow down the area where the perpetrator is likely to live or work.
The parakeets are a successful invasive species (PA) When applied to biological data, the model can identify the origin sites of diseases or introduction sites of invasive species, like the parakeet. Lead author Steven Le Comber said: ‘The ring-necked parakeet has become a successful invasive species in 34 countries on five continents.
‘The fun legends relating to the origins of the UK’s parakeets are probably not going to go away any time soon. ‘However, our research only found evidence to support the belief of most ornithologists: the spread of parakeets in the UK is likely a consequence of repeated releases and introductions, and nothing to do with publicity stunts by musicians or movie stars.’
Article
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It’s great seeing these techniques used to solve mysteries in various fields! If you like this type of post, you might also enjoy last month’s post on a Lemur kidnapping with a happy ending.
Let me know if you’d like more of these type of light-hearted mysteries.
.
Criminology techniques such as geo-profiling helped scientists debunk the popular myths that parakeets were introduced to the UK
1) during the filming of the Humphrey Bogart & Katherine Hepburn film The African Queen (1951), and/or
2) by Jimi Hendrix releasing them in the 1960s.
.
Parakeet migration mystery solved as Bogart and Hendrix myths debunked
Dec. 12, 2019 ~ Metro Science Reporter
.
Scientists believe they have busted the myths that parakeets were introduced to the UK by Jimi Hendrix, or during the filming of a Humphrey Bogart film.
Using geographic profiling scientists mapped half a century of sightings of the bright green birds (Psittacula krameri). They found no evidence to support any of the myths surrounding the birds’ origins in the UK, according to the study published in the Journal of Zoology.
The brightly-coloured bird has been in Britain for decades, although it is unclear how they were first introduced. One theory is they were refugees from the film set of The African Queen, shot in Ealing in 1951, while another is that a pair were released by Hendrix on Carnaby Street, central London, in the 1960s.
Another theory suggests the winged-creatures kept at Syon Park escaped in the 1970s when a plane crashed through the aviary roof, while another blames damage to aviaries during the Great Storm of 1987.
This is despite sightings dating back to the 1869s, scientists say. A new spatial analysis, backed by an extensive search of archived newspaper articles, found that Britain’s booming parakeet population has actually grown from numerous small-scale accidental and intentional pet releases.
Researchers from from Queen Mary University of London, UCL, and Goldsmiths, University of London conclude that intentional releases may have been encouraged from 1929-1931, and in 1952 by dramatic media coverage of fatal ‘parrot fever’ outbreaks.
Scientists used geographic profiling to analyse spatial patterns of parakeet sightings. The statistical technique was originally developed in criminology to prioritise large lists of suspects in cases of serial crime.
Worton Hall Studios, where the Bogart and Katharine Hepburn classic was filmed, Syon Park, and Carnaby Street did not show up prominently in the geoprofile of more than 5,000 unique records dating from 1968 to 2018.
Geographic profiling typically maps crime sites, like the location of murder victims’ bodies. This is overlaid on a map of the area of interest to produce a geoprofile and narrow down the area where the perpetrator is likely to live or work.
The parakeets are a successful invasive species (PA) When applied to biological data, the model can identify the origin sites of diseases or introduction sites of invasive species, like the parakeet. Lead author Steven Le Comber said: ‘The ring-necked parakeet has become a successful invasive species in 34 countries on five continents.
‘The fun legends relating to the origins of the UK’s parakeets are probably not going to go away any time soon. ‘However, our research only found evidence to support the belief of most ornithologists: the spread of parakeets in the UK is likely a consequence of repeated releases and introductions, and nothing to do with publicity stunts by musicians or movie stars.’
Article
.
It’s great seeing these techniques used to solve mysteries in various fields! If you like this type of post, you might also enjoy last month’s post on a Lemur kidnapping with a happy ending.
Let me know if you’d like more of these type of light-hearted mysteries.