Wild Bronx Parrots in the News

Andrea Ford, a reporter for The Columbia Journalist, wrote a nice article on the wild parrots which live in Pelham Bay Park. Featured in this article are interviews with Bronx residents Yvonne McDermott, Patricia Diaz, and myself.

NYC Wild Parrots Bid Farewell to Snow

Wild parrots in the Bronx march past the last remains of what will likely be New York's last snowfall of the season.

Many of us wouldn't expect wild parrots in New York to like snow much, but they do. True, too much snow makes life very difficult for them, especially when a heavy coat makes their foraging grounds inaccessible. When this happens, they have rely upon leaf buds and the occasional backyard bird feeder to survive. But just a little snow is great, and our Parrot Paparazzi caught up with the Pelham Bay Parrots, when the last traces of what will likely be New York's last snowfall of the season had almost disappeared.

Why do these parrots like the snow? Well, it's a ready source of relatively pure water, and when it melts, puddles for bathing are formed. Even during the coldest months, these parrots prefer to stay clean, and it doesn't matter how cold the bathwater is!


These two wild parrots enjoy exploring the receding urban snowdrifts. It almost looks like they're on skis!


Like all urban birds, the wild parrots in NYC take real chances with their lives should they ever be foolish enough to drink from dirty, polluted puddles, which can contain toxic lead, benzine, and other killing chemicals created by automobiles. Fortunately, these birds generally stay away from such hazards. While water from melted snow in the Bronx may not be as pure as Artesian well water, it's healthy enough for these tough urban parrots.


Now THAT's a good tasting pile of snow!


The water from melted snow creates cool, relatively pure puddles. Here a Bronx parrot comes down to get a cool drink from a snow puddle.

Photo-Essay: Quaker Parrots: Master Architects of the Bird World

People sometimes ask me -- especially when they see wild Quaker parrot nests in New York City for the first time -- how could these little birds build something so impressively massive?


Well, Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was a Quaker nest like this one, which probably weighs at least 200 pounds. It takes teamwork, persistence, and patience! (click on any photo for an enlargement).


A well-engineered Quaker nest begins in a tree. Quaker nests are built of twigs - lots of them, intricately woven together. These expansive, all-weather parrot condos are built one twig at a time, and the construction work goes on throughout the year, rain, shine, or snow. In the photo above, this little guy has already severed a good-looking twig from a tree, and is trying to balance it so that he can transport it to his nest without any aerial mishaps.


Leaping from the branch with twig in beak, this Quaker begins air-lifting the fresh-cut lumber to its destination. Within 30 seconds, it will be placed in the nest, where it will subsequently be woven into the existing nest structure by other Quakers.


Quaker parrots are Nature's equivalent of the heavy-lifting C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. This twig is almost twice as long as thie little bird's body. If I could play music on this site to accomodate this next sequence of photos, I'd play the Beatles' wonderful song from the Abbey Road LP: "Boy, You're Going to Carry That Weight a Long Time."


Now the difficult part of the journey begins. This Quaker must lift that heavy twig UP some 75-feet. Don't try this at home, kids!



Wings grabbing mightily for traction in the icy air, the high stadium light nest is soon almost within reach.


This Quaker isn't alone in adding twigs to the nest today -- another one is pitching in. Quakers are amazing flyers who can hover in place much like hummingbirds. This allows them to place twigs with precision; when they're through hovering, they simply shift into forward-flight mode, much like a Harrier Jump Jet.


In fact, nest building is very much a family affair: this whole clan is doing construction today (although most are taking a well-earned break right now) - many beaks make light the work! After the twig is placed, another bird will take it and begin weaving it into the existing structure. Sometimes, the twig will need trimming, in which case the weaving bird will adjust its length.

It is speculated that one reason that young birds stay in the nest for such a long time (up to 2 years) is to "apprentice" in the various specialized skills required to build a successful nest before setting out on their own.


Cutting, ferrying, and weaving twigs all day takes energy: lots of it. By the time a few dozen twig installations have been made, these little birds are hungry. Unfortunately, the Quakers' foraging field is covered in snow today, making the task of finding acorns -- these Quakers' main high energy staple -- difficult.


The birds aren't going to go hungry today, however. See those tiny sprigs of grass sticking up through the snow? They're delicious and nutritious!


Well, enough munching. We've got mouths to feed, a nest to insulate, and the weather ain't getting any warmer. Back to work, compadres - you're going to carry that weight a long time!

Wild Parrots in the Snow!

On Sunday night, New York City had its first snowfall of the winter season, so naturally I ventured forth to see if I could obtain some images of wild parrots in the snow. I had reasonable luck, as these photos attest.

Enjoy this strange urban marvel: bright green and grey parrots, in the middle of New York City, frolicking in the December snow! Who needs to go to Bermuda or Cancun when there is such exotic wildlife right here?

(click on any image to see an enlargement)


Jump for joy! There's a scattering of Petco gourmet-style Finch Seed on the ground, which is especially welcome today, because the wild parrots' usual foraging ground is under an impenetrable coat of snow.



Mourning doves and sparrows are often found in the company of New York's wild parrots. Some people unfortunately think that the quaker parakeets harass other birds, but I've never seen it happen. The quakers seem to get along with every bird in New York, except for crows, falcons, and hawks, which they do not like at all.


The quaker parakeets and mourning doves are enjoying this seed, but aren't dependent on it. The quakers do very well eating acorns, which are often found around the base of trees, where the snow doesn't build up heavily.


On a later, sunnier day in December. the quakers are found frolicking in the snow.


Even though their foraging field is covered by the white stuff, these birds aren't going hungry today, however. See those tiny sprigs of grass sticking up through the snow? They're delicious and nutritious!



I will be going out to see these remarkable wild parrots on each weekend through the winter and will share any good pix I take with you all. There's something really amazing about seeing these birds -- so far from home and without any written instructions -- making a go of it in New York.

Some might call the quaker parakeets' remarkable success story in our hemisphere as an example of a highly evolved, highly adaptive creature created by the Darwinian lathe of natural selection. Others will surely view them as an example of really intelligent "Intelligent Design."

Either way, they're tough, vociferous little characters who have, in my view, earned the honorific title, "American Parrot."

For More Pictures of Wild Parrots in the Snow, please see:
NYC Wild Parrots Bid Farewell to Snow