At one time, the US was home to a native parrot species of parrot known as the Carolina Parakeet. Unfortunately, they went extinct due to human activities with their last sighting being in 1910. However, you can still find some non-native parrots in the US. They are descendants of birds that were released or escaped and have since established themselves in our cities. Most of them live in peace alongside other species and with humans. Let's learn a bit about a few of those birds and how they got here.

Peach-faced Lovebird

These little escapees found themselves in the streets of Phoenix, Arizona and have established themselves there. They are native to Africa, but have proved themselves to be very adaptable and creative in order to survive. They can be found nesting in native cacti and palm trees. They find relief from the desert heat by gathering near air conditioning vents and bird baths. This photo, taken by Kevin McGraw of Arizona State University, shows an example of this. His study of this behavior can be found in the reference section of this post. It’s very fascinating to see how a non-native species of bird can find creative ways to adapt to their environment. They are, however, very reliant on humans to provide them what they need to do so. This does mean that they don’t take enough resources from other, native birds to cause issues for them. Many people enjoy seeing the Lovebirds in Phoenix. Hopefully they are staying cool in this hot summer.

Red-crowned Amazon

Several of these birds, around 700, can be found in southern Texas. It is thought that a contributing factor to this is drought and other environmental conditions in Mexico where they are native to. As a result, they are now considered a native species in Texas even though they may not have originated there. In Brownville, the pecan trees in Oliveira Park are an essential part of these bird’s lives. They provide them with food and nesting cavities as well as a place to roost. They will also use power lines to stop and rest. Los Angeles also has a large population of these birds - around 3,000. This number is about the same estimation of the amount of Red-crowned Amazon parrots that live in their native habitat in Mexico. Though they can be seen throughout the area, they are especially concentrated in the San Gabriel Valley.

Monk (Quaker) Parakeet

These parrots are the most abundant non-native parrot species that you can find in the United States. They have established themselves in several cities such as New York, New Orleans, and Miami. They create large, communal nests made from sticks creating communal spaces with separate chamber-like areas similar to “apartment complexes”. Because of this nesting behavior, they can cause some damage to telephone poles and other maintenance issues for utility companies. Despite this, many people enjoy seeing them thrive in their communities. They are proving to be resourceful birds and have established themselves in the US despite some people pushing to eliminate them due to the issues they have caused. There was a lot of pushback from community members when lethal methods were proposed. 

The Parrots of Southern Florida

Southern Florida is home to several non-native parrot species. Some include Red-masked conures, Rose-winged parakeets and even Blue and Yellow macaws. Florida’s climate is similar to many of these parrot’s native habitats which makes it easier for them to survive there. As with the previous birds we have looked at, they are largely the result of the pet trade. Some of them were released on purpose by their former homes and some escaped. They then found one another and formed groups by breeding and finding ways to survive in this new land. Although many birds are able to adapt, others still rely at least partially on humans to survive and can be found in major cities where they have these resources. 

Have you ever seen wild parrots in your backyard? Perhaps you’ve been at the park and heard distinct, loud calls that you were certain weren’t from native birds. As more birds are bred in the US and find themselves escaping their homes, we are certain to continue to see these non-native parrots in our cities and parks. While there have been some challenges, such as with the Quaker parakeets, most of these birds have found impressive ways to blend in with their new environment without disrupting local populations.

I hope you enjoyed this short blog post and that it inspired you to learn more about these birds! 

References:

Mills, R., & McGraw, K. J. (2021). Cool birds: Facultative use by an introduced species of mechanical air conditioning systems during extremely hot outdoor conditions. Biology Letters, 17(3). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2020.0813