In cities and towns across the United States are birds that have been causing quite a stir: Wild Parrots. It may sound strange, but for people who live in areas with these colorful birds, seeing them routinely is just a way of life. As is the case with any species that was originally nonnative, there are a lot of opinions flying around out there and a lot of information that isn’t necessarily accurate. That’s why I’m here to give you the truth about wild parrots living in the USA.
Truth 1 – It’s not their fault they’re here
Most nonnative and invasive species end up getting a lot of hate for the potential negative impact they can have on the environment. It’s important to remember though that those species and certainly the parrots in the United States didn’t choose to be here. Unfortunately, the reason these parrots are here is almost entirely because of humans. While there are a lot of different folk lore type stories about them escaping from zoos, amusement parks and private collections, the reality of it is that most of them were once pets. Perhaps they escaped captivity but more often than not, people simply didn’t want them anymore and let them go. When they were released in places with suitable climates such as Florida or California, some of them survived and formed flocks. Members of these flocks started reproducing and now there are populations living wild. A note on this, do not ever release your pets into the wild, it’s completely irresponsible and most released pets aren’t equipped to survive.
Truth 2 – Some might actually be native
It’s well known that the descendants of most of America’s wild parrots were once captive birds, but there are two species that may actually have had at least some wild ancestry. Let’s go down to South Texas, one of the countries parrot strongholds. Here there are two species with some questions about how they got to the United States. These birds are the Red-crowned Amazon and the Green Parakeet. Both of these species have populations just across the border in Northern Mexico that are truly wild. Although the south texas populations are considered to be derived from escaped birds, it’s very possible that at least some of the birds in these populations are actually wild birds or descendants of wild birds from the populations in Mexico. Without doing genetic testing, there’s no way of knowing for sure, and I really doubt they’ll be doing that any time soon. For that reason it will remain a mystery for the foreseeable future, but the idea of legitimately wild parrots moving into the US is an intriguing thought.
Truth 3 – Most Species aren’t problematic
Nonnative species are often maligned for negatively impacting native wildlife, but the parrot situation is a little bit different. Generally, most parrot species living in the United States are relatively harmless in terms of their ecological impact. There are a lot of reasons for this, first of all, most species can only live in warmer weather parts of the country and tend to stay pretty localized as opposed to moving around and expanding their range. Next, they simply don’t displace native bird species. They tend to feed on ornamental trees and live in areas impacted by humans instead of pristine wilderness. The biggest negative impact the parrots have is actually on humans and it comes in the form of annoying them with their loud squawks. A lot of people talk about how these parrots are a problem in the country, but in reality, for most species they really aren’t causing any trouble, at least not yet.
Truth 4 – One species can be a problem
Although most parrot species in the US don’t cause problems, there is one that can be. That species is the Monk Parakeet. Monk Parakeets are different from other parrots in North America because they can live in colder climates. One key adaptation that allows for these birds to survive in the cold is their ability to build massive stick nests that help insulate them. This, along with other adaptations has allowed them to spread across the country in a way that no other parrot species has. Unfortunately, these nests that have helped them to thrive in the north are also the reason they can be problematic. Here’s the thing, Monk Parakeets absolutely love to build their nests on human made structures like bridges and electrical transformers. The nests on transformers are the real issue as they can become so large that they create electrical fires and cause power outages. This has led to many cities working to remove the nests and in some cases eliminate the parrot colony. In terms of ecological impact, even Monk parakeets don’t seem to displace native species but they do cause some issues for people in the cities that they live in
Truth 5 – These parrots are in trouble in their native range
Something interesting about the United States parrot situation is that some of the species living in the United States are actually not doing well in their native range. In fact, species like Red-crowned Amazons, Lilac Crowned Amazons, and yellow headed amazons are all endangered in their native range in Mexico. In the United States there aren’t any programs or protections for them since they’re nonnative, but the U.S. populations could be important if the numbers of wild birds in Mexico continue to decline. What this all means, is that even though the parrots in the United States are nonnative, they are actually extremely valuable in the fight against extinction for many of the species present.
The parrots in the United States are an interesting phenomenon that for birders, provide some new species to chase, and for non-birders are a unique oddity. I hope you learned something you didn’t know about them. If you want to hear more about parrots in the United States, take a look at one of our other videos about them and as always, thanks for watching, we’ll see you next time on Badgerland Birding.