Species Account
Extract from Bird Report 2024
Increasing population that derived from introduced origins.
As in 2023, there were no confirmed breeding records. There was one report of probable breeding when a pair was at East Hyde on 13th April.
Of the 158 records, 90 were from the Luton area and particularly around Wardown and Stockwood Parks. Away from Luton, records also favoured urban parks and gardens, with a notable roost around Hillgrounds Road, Kempston during the second winter period. Counts from there included 42 on 5th October, 30 on 15th October, 48 the next day and 30 on 24th November. Elsewhere, there were eight other counts of over ten, with 20 at Great Denham on 12th January, 12 at Woodside on 12th June and 13 at Stockwood Park on 10th October. In November, there were 13 at Stockwood Park on the 1st, 15 at Wychwood Avenue, Luton on the 9th, 11 there on the 25th and 20 at Wardown Park on the 26th. The only count in December was of 14 over Houghton Brook Pools heading from Houghton Regis towards Leagrave on the 2nd.
