Update on the Manhattan Monk Parrots

Manhattan birder D. Bruce Yolton, who runs Urban Hawks, a great urban bird site, has posted some excellent photos of the Manhattan Monks taken this week. There are four of them living "in the block bounded by 77th, 78th, Amsterdam and Columbus." Add the two on 104th Street and the Manhattan Monk count adds up to six parrots.

The fact that there are more than two monk parrots on the Upper West Side favors the chance that these parrots might survive in the Big Apple. According to monk parrot expert Mattie Sue Athan, it's rare that isolated monk parrot pairs survive for very long in the wild. But six parrots might be able to hack it, given that they have a larger gene pool to draw on, more opportunities for cooperative nest building and cooperative breeding, and, most importantly for any creature seeking to live in Manhattan, more networking opportunities!

I officially dub this group of feral parrots "The Westies!"

For more on the Manhattan Monk Parrots, see:
Parrots Grab Manhattan Real Estate
"I'll Take Manhattan" (Wild Parrots on the Upper West Side)
Breaking News: Wild Parrots on Manhattan's Upper West Side Delighting Local Birders