Global Distribution of Invasive Monk Parakeets (<em>Myiopsitta monachus</em>)

The Monk Parakeet is a psittacid species native to South America and introduced into many territories due to their demand as pets. It has proven to be successful in establishing in new territories, capable of reproducing, propagating, and exhibiting a population growth in introduction sites during few decades. It is considered a pest due to negative impacts, especially for its damage to agriculture and urban infrastructure. Global distribution of this species has been described, however considering that this species is highly adaptable and effective in colonizing new environments, many of these distribution maps may be outdated. We used eBird, a free online birding database, to locate sightings of this species globally and compared it with the reported range for the species. Additionally, we overlaid gathered data on species distribution with economic and demographic human data, to explore if there is a correlation between parakeet abundance and wealth and to assess human exposure to their impacts. We collected data since 1900 up to 2024 and compared observed differences in Monk Parakeet presence. Our results indicate that Monk Parakeets have invaded at least 31 countries, being present in capital cities, cities, towns, and rural territories. The number of cities where the species was sighted increased significantly since 1985, on average a 150% by decade. We found a significant and positive correlation between the number of cities invaded and the GDP per capita for the countries. We present new evidence on Monk Parakeet's rapid global expansion and deliver an updated map of Monk Parakeet global distribution, relevant for planning and implementing control measures.