A PARROT on the loose is "causing havoc" in a Scottish city and is being blamed for hundreds of pounds worth of damage to cars.
The bird, which is a type of parrot called a parakeet, has been seen flying around the Lochardil area of Inverness since February.
Local residents have told BBC Radio Scotland that they have witnessed the bird pecking at window seals and window wipers, "gouging out huge chunks of rubber".
While wild Parakeets are a common sight around parts of south east England, they are more unusual in the north of Scotland – and the bird in Lochardil is believed to be an escaped pet.
One resident, Chrissanne Robertson, said the bird is believed to have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage on her street.
"We're trying everything, but the bird is still here," she told BBC Scotland.
"I don't know what we're going to do. We laugh about it some days and cry other days."
She added: "We all thought it looked lovely, until we saw the damage it was doing to the cars."
Another local resident, Cathleen Mackinnon, said: "Parakeet is not a good word round here in Inverness.
"This little chap causes havoc on the cars around here."
She said that while she has never seen the bird, she has "seen the damage it causes".
Some of her neighbours have covered their cars in tarpaulin to protect them from the bird, while one is even rumoured to have spent £800 on repairs.
The local authority, Highland Council, said their environmental health team was unable to get involved "as these are wild birds".
Residents had also urged RSPB Scotland, the SSPCA and NatureScot to intervene but said they had not received any help.
A spokesperson for NatureScot said it was not known why parrots and other birds eat or dismantle windscreen wipers.
They said: "Wildlife experts have put forward three main theories for this destructive behaviour: they are defending their territory against their own reflection, they crave certain fats or minerals in the rubber, or they are simply exploring and playing out of boredom.
"If birds are damaging your car, there are ways to protect it.
"Cover the car or windscreen, block the reflection by hiding the lower part of the windscreen and remove access to the wiper blades by wrapping them or by folding the wiper arms back."
Parakeets are the only naturalised parrot in the UK, according to the RSPB.
The bird charity estimates there are around 8600 breeding pairs, and the animals have a wingspan of up to 48cm (19in).
