Alien Parrots In Urban Environments

Squirrels, pigeons and rats thrive in urban environments. So do parrots and parakeets. A colony of wild parrots lives right here in Chicago. They are actually monk parakeets, affectionately known as "Harold's parrots," so called because Chicago Mayor Harold Washington was very fond of them. Chicago is not the only city with non-native parrot or parakeet colonies. When I lived in Los Angeles, I would occassionally see flocks of parakeets flitting around in the wooded Hollywood Hills. I don't recall seeing parrots, but I'd bet there must be some feral parrots living in Southern California. Brooklyn, NY has its "Brooklyn Parrots," and as the story below demonstrates, many other cities have their parrots too. New Yorker Steve Baldwin did a nice story with a photo essay of Chicago's parrots SAN DIEGO (IPS) - Southern California has a vast array of transplants lured by the moderate climate and endless days of sunshine, and perhaps none are more exotic than the urban parrots that have come to colonise bedroom communities ringing major cities like San Diego and Los Angeles. Parrot populations are surging in cities worldwide even as their habitats are fast disappearing in the wild. FULL STORY from IPS News...