Bronx Wild Parrots Bonkers for Berries

A wild monk parrot in the Bronx gets ready to devour some wild berries.

I got up to the Bronx last Sunday to visit the wild parrots that live in Pelham Bay Park. It was a nice, mild day, although the overcast conditions made wild parrot photography difficult. I camped out by a berry tree and waited, and, sure enough, some parrots soon showed up.

Monk parrots are classified as "plant generalists" in terms of diet. I've seen them eat grass, weeds, acorns, leaf buds, and berries, as well as bird seed. But they seem to really like berries -- I haven't observed such gustatorial zeal since I observed them eating pizza in Brooklyn.

(Click on any photo for an enlargement).


This monk has the look of a kid in a candy store. Berries rule!


Berries are just part of the joy of summer for the wild parrots of New York City.

Feeding on calorie-rich foods such as berries is a good idea right now for the wild parrots of New York City. It's early June, which means that there are eggs in the nests, and female monks sitting on them, and the females will definitely appreciate a visit from a male monk with a belly full of berries. The male will feed the nest-bound female by regurgitating some of his food, and yes, I know the idea is kind of yuckie but it's the way that Nature works, and there are a lot of things in Nature that are yuckie but are necessary for life to keep on living.