Feral parrot
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A feral parrot is a parrot that has adapted to life in an ecosystem to which it is not native. The birds are often descended from pets that have escaped or been deliberately released. Many species of parrots are highly social, and like to gather in large flocks. Not all feral parrots are able to adapt to life outside of captivity, although having a pre-existing nearby parrot colony can assist with the adaptation process.
Feral parrots may become invasive species that affect native biodiversity, human economy and wellness.[1] They are present in many countries, including in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, and in the Middle East.
Parrots living in non-native environments
Rainbow lorikeet
Native to the eastern seaboard of
Eastern rosella
The eastern rosella (Platycercus eximius) has become naturalized in the North Island of New Zealand.[5]
Rose-ringed parakeet
Native to India, Sri Lanka and parts of Africa, sizeable populations of naturalized
Other
Also found in the
Several species, including
A breeding population of the
The Belmont Heights District in Long Beach, California, is also known to have many species of feral parrots, which have become local icons to the citizens of the area. They are known for their loud noises as well as their large communities. These parrots can be found roosting mostly on Ocean Boulevard between Livingston Drive and Redondo Avenue in palm trees.
The San Gabriel Valley in California has a large non-indigenous population of naturalized parrots. According to the Parrot Project of Los Angeles,[11] the parrots are of at least five species.[12] Residents have come to enjoy the birds as part of their city's culture,[13][14] and like other Southern California residents they have become "local icons" to the citizens there.[15] Many theories surround the mystery of how the parrots landed in Pasadena and claimed the area as their home.[16] A widely accepted story is that they were part of the stock that were set free for their survival from the large pet emporium at Simpson's Garden Town on East Colorado Boulevard, which burned down in 1959.[12][17]
Malibu, California has populations of black hooded or
The orange-winged amazon (Amazona amazonica) has been introduced to Tenerife in the Canary Islands, where it has been observed successfully hybridizing with a feral scaly-headed parrot (Pionus maximiliani) and also attempting to breed with feral monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) and rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri), even involving itself in the former species' unusual nest-building behaviour.[18]
Lists of feral parrot species by continent
This section needs additional citations for verification. (March 2020) |
North America
- Budgerigar - Melopsittacus undulatus
- Peach-faced lovebird- Agapornis roseicollis
- Blue-and-yellow macaw - Ara ararauna
- Chestnut-fronted macaw - Ara severus[19]
- Mitred parakeet - Psittacara mitratus
- Blue-crowned parakeet - Thectocercus acuticaudatus
- Yellow-chevroned parakeet - Brotogeris chiriri
- Red-masked parakeet - Psittacara erythrogenys
- Nanday parakeet - Aratinga nenday
- Rose-ringed parakeet - Psittacula krameri[20]
- Monk parakeet - Myiopsitta monachus[21]
- Canary-winged parakeet - Brotogeris sp.
- Spectacled amazon- Amazona albifrons
- Red-lored amazon - Amazona autumnalis
- Blue-fronted amazon - Amazona aestiva
- Lilac-crowned amazon - Amazona finschi
- Yellow-headed amazon - Amazona oratrix
- Red-crowned amazon - Amazona viridigenalis
South America
Note: Species found as introduced to the
- Jenday conure- Aratinga jandaya
- Monk parakeet - Myiopsitta monachus
- Blue-fronted amazon Amazona aestiva
Europe
- Alexandrine parakeet - Psittacula eupatria[23]
- Fischer's lovebird - Agapornis fischeri
- Monk parakeet - Myiopsitta monachus[18]
- Orange-winged amazon - Amazona amazonica[18]
- Rose-ringed parakeet Psittacula krameri[20]
- Scaly-headed parrot - Pionus maximiliani[18]
- Yellow-headed amazon - Amazona oratrix[24]
Africa
- Rose-ringed parakeet - Psittacula krameri[20]
Oceania
New Zealand
- Rainbow lorikeet - Trichoglossus moluccanus[4]
- Eastern rosella - Platycercus eximius[25]
- Crimson rosella - Platycercus elegans[26]
- Sulphur-crested cockatoo - Cacatua galerita[25]
- Galah - Eolophus roseicapilla[25]
Asia
- Sulphur-crested cockatoo - Cacatua galerita
- Yellow-crested cockatoo - Cacatua sulphurea[27]
- Coconut lorikeet - Trichoglossus haematodus[28]
- Red-breasted parakeet - Psittacula alexandri[29]
Middle East
- Rose-ringed parakeet - Psittacula krameri[20]
Causes
Feral parrot flocks can be formed after mass escapes of newly imported, wild-caught parrots from airports or quarantine facilities. Large groups of escapees have the protection of a flock and possess the skills to survive and breed in the wild. Some feral
Escaped or released pets rarely contribute to establishing feral populations. Escapes typically involve only one or a few birds at a 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 the necessary survival skills to find food or avoid predators and often do not survive long without human caretakers. However, in areas where there are existing feral parrot populations, escaped pets may sometimes successfully join these flocks.
The most common era or years that feral parrots were released to non-native environments was from the 1890s to the 1940s, during the wild-caught parrot era.
In the psittacosis "parrot fever" panic of 1930, "One city health commissioner urged everyone who owned a parrot to wring its neck. People abandoned their pet parrots on the streets."[30]
See also
References
- S2CID 84294580.
- ^ Chapman, Tamra. (2006). "The status, impact and management of the feral Rainbow Lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus moluccanus) in south-west Western Australia". Eclectus 16-17: 17-18.
- ^ a b "Rainbow Lorikeet". Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ a b "Rainbow lorikeet". Department of Conservation. New Zealand. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ISBN 0-00-212022-4.
- Japan TimesRetrieved March 2, 2017
- ^ Brooks, Raglan Tokyo's Got a Parrot Problem November-December 2014 Auburn Retrieved March 2, 2017
- ^ Kail, Ellyn EERIE PHOTOS OF FERAL PARROTS IN TOKYO August 22, 2014 Featureshoot Retrieved March 2, 2017
- ^ Baldwin, Steve (March 20, 2005). "What are Wild Parrots Doing in Brooklyn?". BrooklynParrots.com.
- ^ Avery, Michael L.; Lindsay, James R. "Monk Parakeets" (PDF). U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service Wildlife Services. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ Mabb, Karen T. (Jan–Feb 2001). "Researching Parrots in the Wilds of California's Suburban Jungles". AFA Watchbird.
- ^ a b "Pasadena Facts". City of Pasadena. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
- ^ "Sunday Spectrum: Pasadena's Parrots". Pasadena Views. 21 March 2010.
- ^ "The Parrots of Pasadena". SoCalRunning.com. 18 January 2008.
- ^ "Pasadena Parrots". Weird California. 15 November 2006.
- ^ "Parrots? Wild in Pasadena? ...Yep!". Scott's L.A. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
- ^ "Wild Parrots Crowd Other Birds in L.A." ABC News. 20 November 2011.
- ^ S2CID 233929115. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
- ^ "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Chestnut-fronted Macaw". iucnredlist.org. IUCN Red List. March 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
Extant & Introduced: United States
- ^ ISBN 978-3-319-22246-2.
- ^ Avery, Michael L.; Lindsay, James R. "Monk Parakeets" (PDF). U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service Wildlife Services. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ISBN 978-8-561-36800-5.
- S2CID 17533751.
- ^ "Stuttgart Amazon Parrots - City Parrots -". cityparrots.org.
- ^ a b c "Distribution of sulphur-crested cockatoos, galahs and eastern rosellas".
- ^ "Crimson rosella". New Zealand Birds Online. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ Wu, Venus (8 May 2019). "How an endangered cockatoo took over Hong Kong". Goldthread. South China Morning Post. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
- ^ "Trichoglossus haematodus". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ "Red-breasted Parakeet". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ Lepore, Jill (1 June 2009). "It's Spreading". The New Yorker. New York. pp. 27–29. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
External links
- The California Parrot Project
- BrooklynParrots.com – a website that chronicles wild monk parrots in Brooklyn
- Project Parakeet – investigating the invasive ecology of the rose-ringed parakeet in the UK
- CaliforniaFlocks.org – Documenting, tracking, photographing, filming naturalized parrot flocks throughout California