Table of Contents

Wild parrots in America

Well! Most of you wonder about the wild parrot species in America. You may not know, but America is home to dozens of multiple feral parrots. According to data and the CBC (Christmas Bird Count), there are almost fifty-three parrot species present in Forty-three American states.

Out of all these species three parrots makeup seventy-one percent of the whole population, and thus they are significant to other American parrots.

The three of these species are:

Monk parakeet: The scientific name for this parrot is Myiopsitta monachus. This green colored chunky parrot is a common sight in the U.S to most birders. This is because these parrots love to colonize, and they have successfully done it in almost twenty-one states. These parrots have green bodies, with blue on their tail and feather tips, they have white chests, and chins with orange beaks.
Red- crowned parrot: The scientific name for this parrot is Amazona viridigenalis. It is also famous as “Red-crowned Amazon”. Though most people may not agree that this is a native parrot species, it depends who you select to talk to. However, the important concern is the endangerment. This species is endangered because of habitat destruction and deforestation. You can find them by looking for green bodies, brightly red forehead, wingtips darker in color, light-colored beak, and blue nape.
Nanday Parakeet: The scientific name for this parrot is Aratinga nenday. It is also famous as “Black-hooded parakeet”. This parrot s native to Central southern America and is found in the Pantanal region. The hint for this parrot is a long yellow-green body, with a long tail, having black tail and forehead, and a red colored ring on each leg.

Wild parrots in America

You probably have read the American history, and you must have known that America was not a home to wild parrots that can now be found. But, still, when you go to Hyde’s park or even in a graveyard or cemeteries, you can listen to several squawks of blotchy green parrots. It has been believed that these parakeets and other birds usually escaped from different homelands and have created several flourishing colonies. Some also believe that they are not just escaped pets which have been bred and controlled by several societies of escaped bird conservation in almost every state of America, but they are far from this.

Historically speaking, there were only two species of parrots that were found in America. The one is Carolina Parakeet, and the other one is a thick-billed parrot which also now lives alone in Mexico. But this does not mean that Americans cannot see another parrot species flying in the yard. A research concluded that almost fifty-six parrot species are inhabiting the wild areas of the U.S nearly twenty-three states, out of which twenty-five species had increased in numbers mainly by forming nourishing/ breeding colonies.

According to the act of migratory bird treaty, it is illegal to put any that bird in captivity which is one of the hundred most popular species of a country. But, no one follows this act majorly and due to increasing pet trade in the world, either legal or illegal has resulted in import/ export do different bird species also including those parrots species which are not mainly found in the country. Therefore, most of these birds frequently escaped and built multiple colonies in the country.

According to research, a breeding colony of a particular species is when you see the same bird species more than twenty-five times in the same place, and it should also include the observations of breeding. The number “twenty-five” is arbitrary and is kept purposely higher.

According to a paper published, the Ornithology department says that there were almost 56 species observed in multiple locations, nearly 118,74 times. In these 56 species, the most abundant species which was seen was Monk parakeet. Other species were Red-crowned amazons and Nanday parakeets. The locations in which they were seen multiple times were Texas, Florida, California etc.

It is scientific data, and it can mainly provide a broader view of how the wild parrots in America came. Anyhow the parrot numbers in the observations are still very high.

Survival of non-native species:

How these parrots which were accustomed to a different environment successfully managed to live in a new environment. Scientists explain that the Monk parakeets are highly adaptive and made nests in such structures that are similar to their wild habitats. They can also fluctuate their diets, can adapt their body temperatures to live in both cold or hot environments. In fact, they survive much better in human communities.

It is not surprising why Texas, California and Florida contain the maximum population of parrots. This is mainly because of the low human society and the cold January temperature.

Wild parrots in America, But some of these birds have territorial and destructive nature, so should their colonies vanish from the human populations? This concept contradicts with the bird lovers and with many of the bird conservation acts. Monk parakeets are protected and conserved in New York and New Jersey. Red-crowned parakeets are also listed as endangered species by the list of International Union of Nature Conservation. Therefore, they are protected in America too.

Currently, what should be done? The scientists should do more study to see what will be the effects of these breeding colonies on the native species of the country. But one thing is evident that the humans have destroyed the natural habitats of these birds and other animals so much that they have to become adaptive so that they can live in our human societies and communities.

How wild parrots in America

Surprisingly some species of the parrots which are relatively lower in numbers in their natural environments are living happily in some states of America like Florida and San Francisco.

If you happen to go through the roads of Miami, it’s golf courses, parks, and other areas you may have already seen them, throughout the city. A diverse range of parrots species can be observed like Parakeets foraging on a feeder, Amazon parrots; yellow-headed, red-crowned and orange winged. Some species of macaws have also been seen.

The thing is these parrots were decreasing in numbers where they were native, but when they were introduced in countries like New York, Chicago, San Francisco, San Diego, Florida, Orleans, and Texas their numbers increased. Why? The fact is these countries become the home for many species which were near to extinction just like refugee camps. Why do these species lower in number in their native environments? Mainly due to illegal pet parrot trade and due to the destruction of their habitats. However, in these countries, there are no such activities which led to breeding, and hence these parrots increased in numbers.

Wild parrots in America, All species of parrots that are not found naturally in a country have majorly increased in numbers due to these breeding societies. Most of the parrot species are located in Southern Florida and California. In these countries, there is a diverse range of rare and common plants that provide food(fruits, flowers, seeds) to these parrots all around the year. This is the main reason why these countries in specific have more significant numbers of parrots rather than other countries. Actually, some parts of Florida have the maximum diversity of parrots as compared to anywhere in the world.

Increasing population of parrots in Southern California:

Wild parrots were artificially introduced in California, and they have been breeding and increasing their numbers all over the country.

There are nearly three hundred and seventy-two parrots species known across the globe, which mostly inhabit the tropical areas of the world. In these areas, their numbers have decreased to a level so that they have become endangered. It is caused by many reasons like predation, parrot trade and business which is done worldwide. Destroying their habitat due to different human activities is also one of the leading causes. On the other hand, many countries which have imported these parrots have a large population of them in both natural and human environments.

In Southern California, there are almost eleven wild parrot species found. Eleven cities of California have abundant amounts of parrots. The most surprising part is that they are not native to California. Most of them came from Latin America, some species from India/Asia, and some of the species are from Northern Africa.

Parrots who have increased in numbers recently in Southern California :

Rose-ringed Parakeets; they are mainly from Tropical Africa and India.
Lilac-crowned parrots from Mexico mostly from the Pacific coast
Yellow-headed parrots( from Mexico to Honduras
Red Lored parrots (From the Caribbean coast, Mexico.)
Red masked parakeets (Peru and Ecuador).
Mitred Parakeets (Argentina, Peru, Bolivia)
Blue-crowned parakeets(from Eastern Colombia to Argentina)
Yellow Chevroned Parakeets (from Amazon river basin)
Nanday parakeets of South/Central America
Turquoise parrots (Central America)

South Florida parrots :

One thing that should be remembered is that neither parrots and parakeets are migratory birds, so it is apparent that they are artificially introduced in the regions. Many countries in the world have agreed to commercialize these parrots in different parts of the world in the late 1960s and ’70s. It is also the reason for the presence of wild parrots in America. Most of the rare species of parrots that were not naturally found in the regions escaped either from the entry spots, pet shops and even from their owners. Almost twenty parrots species have been observed in Florida. Now, large numbers of populations of parakeets either rose-ringed, monk and canary-winged have become entirely familiar to their new environments. Among these other species are also increasing in numbers in South Florida.

Are there wild parrots in the U. S?

There are no naturally occurring wild parrots in America. America only has two native wild species of parrots. Now many of the wild species of parrots have been introduced in several states of America like Florida, San Francisco, San Diego, New York, New Jersey etc. Initially, these countries imported wild parrot species, and now they are freely thriving and breeding in these countries due to excessive amounts of food, habitat and low temperatures etc.

Are parrots legal in the U. S?

Wild parrots in America, In some states of America, you are not allowed to keep native species of wild parrots and those species which are in the list of endangered parrots. However, in other states like Colorado, Kansas, Maine, New York, New Jersey, Hampshire, Ohio, Vermont, and Virginia, you can keep parakeets and other parrots like quaker parrots as pets.

Are there wild parrots in LA?

There are not many native species of parrots that occur in LA. However, many species of parrots have developed several breeding communities throughout LA. These are all descendants of escaped pets or those birds that managed to escape while pet trade. These parrots have managed to live here and make large populations, and these countries somehow serve as a refuge to these abandoned or escaped parrots.

Feral parrots in America

Wild parrots in America, It is surprising to see wild parrots in America. This is not a usual thing. These escaped parrots have managed to increase in numbers, and now they thrive in almost every state of America freely. In addition, America naturally consists of only two species of parrots; Carolina parakeet and a thick-billed parakeet.