Manhattan Beach Monk Parakeet Colony Wiped Out: Who Did It?

Brooklyn's Manhattan Beach neighborhood, lying just to the East of Brighton Beach, has been home to wild parrots for many years. Several pairs have built nests near the Manhattan Beach main bathhouse on Oriental Boulevard. According to people I have spoken to in the neighborhood, the parrots have lived in this neighborhood for at least seven years.

I visited this thriving colony last on January 1, 2008, and saw about a dozen parrots active in the neighborhood. Today, I revisited the colony and was shocked: all the nests have been torn down, and no birds were evident anywhere in the vicinity. I suspect that Con Edison may have taken the nests down, but need more evidence. If Con Ed did so, it would represent a violation of best practices for nest teardowns, which should only occur when there is no danger of the birds freezing to death. I also want to know what happened to the parrots. Did Con Edison trap them? If so, where are they now?

If you are a resident of Brighton Beach, Sheepshead Bay, or Manhattan Beach, and witnessed any teardowns between January 1 and January 25, 2008, please send me e-mail. These teardowns should not have happened in this time period; I am attempting to ascertain whether Con Edison, its contractor, or another entity did the work, who authorized it, why best practices were not followed in this case, whether the community was consulted, and most importantly, what happened to the parrots? I need to get as many facts as possible before I approach the NY media with this story.