The United States is a country with something of a checkered past in terms of nonnative species. Some of the most numerous and familiar birds in the US are actually originally from other countries entirely. Although many people know the story of how birds like the House Sparrow and starling made their way into the country, there are some truly unusual birds that now live wild in the United States that you’re going to want to know about. Here are five strange birds that shouldn’t be in the United States and yet here they are.

1. Gray-headed Swamphen

The first bird on our list is one that certainly doesn’t look like it belongs in the United States. Gray headed Swamphens are a charming mix of iridescent blues, purples, and greens with a little gray thrown in. They have a bright red bill and large unique looking feet. Originally from Asia, these birds either escaped or were released in Florida in the 1990s and found the many marshes and wetlands to be more than suitable habitat to thrive in. What started as a small population in the southern part of the state expanded into the northern part as well and there is some evidence to believe they could keep going into other nearby states as well. While gray headed swamphens are really cool looking birds, they do pose a conservation concern as they can be aggressive toward other rail species and could damage the ecosystems they share with them. However, they are also a really cool looking bird to see in Florida and a species I was excited to find when I saw them there.

2. Indian Peafowl

Just about everyone is familiar with the Indian peafowl which is colloquially known as the peacock although peacock really only refers to the male birds with the females being called peahens and the species  as a whole being indian peafowl. You can call them whatever you want, I’m just giving you the truth. Anyway, Indian Peafowl arrived in the US because of their beauty, oftentimes viewed as a status symbol in the collections of wealthy people and as eye candy at zoos and botanical gardens. As is the case with most animals in collections, they eventually ended up in the wild and now have populations in certain warm weather states including Texas, Florida, Hawaii, and California. In these states, peafowl have adapted well to life among people, residing in more rural areas. For this reason, its unlikely that they will have a prolonged negative impact on native wildlife, but they have been criticized for property damage and simply being loud and annoying to humans.

3. Monk Parakeet

Monk Parakeets are one of many parrot species living wild in the United States. Unlike the other species though, these hardy little green birds can handle colder weather, and for that reason have been able to spread north into cities like New York and Chicago. The primary reason they can withstand colder climates is due to the giant multi-chambered stick nests that they make, but that’s unfortunately also a reason that they can be problematic in the US. They often build these massive nests on electrical transformers, causing fires and outages. This has led to Monk Parakeet nests and even the birds themselves being removed from areas they’re impacting. In terms of environmental impact, Monk Parakeets don’t seem to be harming native wildlife or ecosystems as they prefer to live in cities and other places impacted by humans since large structures serve as great places for nest building. If you want to see Monk Parakeets, you can track them down in any number of US states including Illinois, New York, Florida, Texas, Connecticut, and more.

2. Red-vented Bulbul

Red Vented Bulbuls are native to South Asia but have been introduced to many parts of the world including the middle east, the Pacific Islands, and parts of the United States. Unlike other nonnative bird species these birds haven’t spread very far and are really only found in Hawaii and Houston Texas. However, like so many other nonnative species introduced to Hawaii, they are a big problem there in terms of native species displacement. Up to this point, red vented bulbuls don’t seem to be having too much of a negative impact on native wildlife in Texas, but more studies will need to be done as they are relatively new to the region, first making an appearance in the 1950s and not in large enough numbers to raise questions. Now however, some suspect their numbers are growing and they could be spreading out and could become an issue in the future just as they have in Hawaii..

1. Egyptian Goose

Egyptian Geese are really interesting birds. They spend a lot of time on land and in trees compared to other waterfowl. They are also very uniquely colored with a tannish gray underside, dark wings with a white patch visible in flight, and a rusty brown splotch around their eye. Egyptian geese are native to Africa where they are actually sometimes maligned for eating crops and being aggressive to other animals. In the United States Egyptian Geese can be found in California, Texas, and Florida living wild and usually in areas inhabited by humans which they have adapted quite nicely to living in. They can be found in various zoos and collections across the country as well but aren’t in great enough numbers and in suitable enough habitat to breed outside of captivity. There are concerns that Egyptian geese could continue to spread and become a problem but for now they are mostly in areas that are already, let’s just say, already altered by a lot of other nonnative species.

These five birds living wild in the United States are certainly fascinating and I want to know in the comments if you’ve seen any of them before or if there were any you didn’t know about. If you liked this video take a look at another one of our videos on birds and birding and as always, thanks for watching, we’ll see you next time on Badgerland Birding.