From 10000birds.com: Mysteries of the Mitred Parakeets of Queens, NY

Wild Conures in Queens, New York, January, 2010. Photo by Dominika Gardocka.

If you've been to this site before, you know about the many wild Quaker Parrots (AKA Monk Parakeets) that have been living wild in New York and other North American cities for many years. These are the types of birds that I track on my monthly wild parrot safaris in Brooklyn.

Much less is known about the elusive flock of wild Mitred Conures that live in Queens. Unlike Quakers, Mitred Conures seem to have the odds stacked against them in urban environments, especially because they don't build free standing stick nests, nor do they come from a climate where they must endure harsh New York-style winters. Still, they've managed to endure here, and a new article by the noted NY birder Seth Ausubel on the wonderful birding site 10000birds.com thoroughly discusses these birds - by the far the most mysterious kind of wild parrot in New York City.