Feral parrot

Feral parrot is a term for any parrot that lives in an ecosystem to which it is not native. In many cases this is due to careless owners. However, feral parrots can adapt to life in such environments.

Parrots living in non-native environments

Budgerigar Feral Budgerigars have existed since the 1940s in the St Petersburg, Florida area of the United States, but have decreased since the early 1980s. Colder than normal winter temperatures in some years and increased competition from European Starlings appear to be the main reasons for the declining population.

Rainbow Lorikeet Feral colonies of Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus) have been established in Perth, Western Australia and in Auckland, New Zealand.

Eastern Rosella The Eastern Rosella (Platycercus eximius) has become naturalized in the North Island of New Zealand.

The population of Red-masked Parakeets that have gone feral in San Francisco have become famous through a book and film that have been made about them.

Rose-ringed Parakeet A sizeable population of naturalized Rose-ringed Parakeets (Psittacula krameri) exists in and around cities in England, the Netherlands, Belgium and western and southern Germany. They are believed (and in some cases documented) to have descended from escaped or released pets. The largest UK roost of these is thought to be in Esher, Surrey, numbering several thousand. Feral Rose-ringed Parakeets also occur in the United States and South Africa.

Alexandrine Parakeet Often flocking with the naturalized P. krameri populations in Belgium and England are smaller populations of Alexandrine Parakeets (Psittacula eupatria).

Monk Parakeet (Quaker Parakeet} Populations of the Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) have established themselves in many areas of the United States and Spain.

Other Also found in the United States are various naturalized Brotogeris spp. (mainly B. versicolurus (Canary-winged Parakeet a.k.a. White-winged Parrot) and/or B. chiriri (Yellow-chevroned Parakeet/Parrot). Brooklyn, New York, in New York City, is home to a population of Myiopsitta monachus (monk aka Quaker Parakeet/Parrot). A population of naturalized Rose-collared aka Peach-faced Lovebirds (Agapornis roseicollis) are found in Tucson, Arizona. Several species, including Red-lored Parrots (Amazona autumnalis), Lilac-crowned Parrots (Amazona finschi), and Yellow-chevroned Parakeets (Brotogeris chiriri), have become well established in Southern California and a population of mainly Red-masked or Cherry-headed Parakeet/Conure, a female Mitred Parakeet/Conure, and thus several inter-specific hybrids live in the area of Telegraph Hill in San Francisco, as depicted in the documentary The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. Many states in the U.S. have now enacted laws banning some of the above species & most particularly monk (aka quaker) Parakeet/Parrot from being sold, bred, or kept as pets.

List of parrots living in non-native environments, sorted by continent:

North America

• Budgerigar-note-there may be few, or none, left.
• Rose-ringed Parakeet
• Monk Parakeet
• Canary-winged Parakeet
• Yellow-chevroned Parakeet
• Peach-faced Lovebird
• Red-lored Amazon
• Lilac-crowned Amazon
• Yellow-chevroned Parakeet
• Red-masked Parakeet
• Hybrid Mitred Parakeet
• Red-crowned Amazon

Europe

• Alexandrine Parakeet
• Rose-ringed Parakeet
• Monk Parakeet
• Budgerigar

Africa

• Rose-ringed Parakeet

Oceania-note-these feral parrots are in fact native to the continent but are non-native to certain places in that continent.

• Rainbow Lorikeet
• Eastern Rosella
• Crimson Rosella

Asia

• Sulphur Crested Cockatoo

Reasons

No one knows why certain parrot species live in these unnatural habitats. There may be several reasons.

• The largest may be mass escapes of imported wild-caught parrots from airports or quaranitne facilities. These birds had a flock to help provide safety from predators and possessed skills necessary to survive in the wild.

• Zoos and Gardens--some feral parakeets may have descended from captive zoo birds that escaped. Although some may have died, others survived and became the alien parrots. There is an urban legend at the Botanical Gardens in Brooklyn that in the early 1970s, there was an aviary of Monk Parakeets that lived there, but then they were released at the park, although there is no evidence for that case.

• Escaped pets -- Escaped or released pets usually do not contribute to establishing feral populations. Escapes typically involve only one or a few birds at one time, so the birds do not have the protection of a flock, and often do not have a mate. Most captive born birds do not possess necessary survival skills to find food or avoid predators, and often do not survive long, or return to humans when they become hungry. However, in areas where there are existing feral parrot populations, escaped pets may sucessfully join these flocks.

Whatever the cause, the most common era or years that feral parrots were released to non-native environments was during the 1890s to the 1940s, during the wild-caught parrot era.

To Keep or Not To Keep

Some bird experts, and the government, are afraid that the feral parrots may in fact harm the native birds. In fact, parrots are sometimes killed by the government and their species banned from the list of legal pets. They are even listed as the most dangerous animals in the state. However, some people and even some bird experts say we should re-examine some of these laws, because some feral parrots are peaceful, don't steal native birds' nests, and are nice to the native birds. They even keep the non-native European Starling and the Rock Pigeon from making nests. Some governments have let the non-native birds stay in certain places, to avoid problems due to the fact that a parrot's droppings are wetter than pigeon droppings, which are harder. Some might say, in North America, feral parrots are the replacements to the Carolina Parakeet and the endangered Thick-billed Parrot.

External links

• Feral, Naturalized & City Parrots