Pesky parakeet piques Palatinate police

Police in a small German town were stumped when their speed trap camera went off clocking a vehicle doing 30kph in a 20kph zone. The photo, taken on a clear day at 10am, showed no object, according to German media reports. But on closer examination, police in the town of Zweibrücken, in the south west, spotted a tiny airborne object – a green ring-necked parakeet – in mid-flight. “After close visual inspection of the photo taken at the scene we solved the puzzle,” the Rhineland Palatinate police sa
May 19, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
Police in a small German town were stumped when their speed trap camera went off clocking a vehicle doing 30kph in a 20kph zone.

The photo, taken on a clear day at 10am, showed no object, according to German media reports.

But on closer examination, police in the town of Zweibrücken, in the south west, spotted a tiny airborne object – a green ring-necked parakeet – in mid-flight.

“After close visual inspection of the photo taken at the scene we solved the puzzle,” the Rhineland Palatinate police said.

It was, apparently, the first offence by the birds which have made their homes in the local Rosengarten Park.

A would normally be given a warning fine of around €15. But is not likely the bird can be positively identified.

In the world of birds, a white-throated needle-tail – a large common swift - has been clocked at 169 kph in level flight. However, the record for the fastest speed in a dive is held by the peregrine falcon at 389 kph.

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