Biological invasions are widely recognised as a significant threat to biodiversity, a driver of global change and a relevant economic problem. Actions to control or eradicate invasive alien species (IAS) can cause great controversy, especially when targeted species are charismatic. Thus, better understanding people’s perceptions of invasive species is key for ensuring more effective IAS management. The ring-necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri) and the monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) are two of the most successful avian invaders worldwide, causing several ecological and socio-economic impacts in recipient regions. We used image-based questionnaires to assess differences in people’s perceptions of recently established ring-necked and monk parakeet colonies in an urban environment (Porto, Portugal). Most participants recognised both species and had a positive perception of the parakeets, with respondents’ education, gender and age influencing their perception. Potential ecological, economic and social impacts caused by these species do not seem be widely acknowledged yet, likely due to the limited awareness of IAS or the incipiency of their impacts in the area. Our results suggest future actions to manage feral parakeet populations in the area will likely be met with public opposition. While increased public literacy about IAS might help improve risk awareness, complementary tools should be used to promote support for potential interventions. Social assessments are vital to identify, evaluate and address social costs and benefits of IAS. Further research should adopt a multidisciplinary approach to foster communication in IAS management actions, implementing effective and sustainable measures to tackle biological invasions by charismatic vertebrates.

人们普遍认为，生物入侵是对生物多样性的重大威胁，是全球变化的驱动力和相关的经济问题。控制或根除外来入侵物种（IAS）的行动可能引起巨大争议，尤其是当目标物种具有超凡魅力时。因此，更好地了解人们对入侵物种的看法是确保更有效地进行IAS管理的关键。环颈长尾小鹦鹉（Psittacula krameri）和和尚长尾小鹦鹉（Myiopsitta monachus）是世界上最成功的两个鸟类入侵者，在受灾地区造成了若干生态和社会经济影响。我们使用基于图像的问卷调查来评估人们对城市环境（葡萄牙波尔图）中最近建立的环颈和和尚长尾小鹦鹉殖民地的看法差异。大多数参与者都认识到这两种物种，并对长尾小鹦鹉有积极的认识，而受访者的教育程度，性别和年龄也会影响他们的观念。这些物种造成的潜在的生态，经济和社会影响似乎尚未得到广泛认可，这可能是由于对IAS的了解有限或它们在该地区的影响尚在初期。我们的结果表明，未来在该地区管理野生长尾小鹦鹉种群的行动可能会遭到公众的反对。虽然提高公众对IAS的素养可能有助于提高风险意识，但应使用补充工具来促进对潜在干预措施的支持。社会评估对于识别，评估和解决IAS的社会成本和收益至关重要。进一步的研究应采用多学科方法，以促进国际会计准则管理活动中的交流，采取有效而可持续的措施来解决魅力型脊椎动物的生物入侵。