Brooklyn "Wild Quaker Parrots" Appear on CSI NY

I don't own a television set, but I received numerous reports this week that a key plot point in the plot of Season 4, Episode 19, of the popular TV show CSI NY centers around the wild Quaker Parrots that live in Brooklyn.

The parrots (or rather several particles of parrot guano) figure into the citywide hunt for the "Cabbie Killer" when this guano is found on a tarp left behind by the killer. The scene concerning the parrots occurs about 18 minutes in; the exposition (on the grounds of the mythical "Kings County College") goes as follows:

• Detective 1: "Analysis of the white trace I pulled off our latest tarp came back as avian waste."


• Detective 2: "There are about a million pigeons in this town."


• Detective 1: "But how many wild South American Quaker Parrots do you think there are? (pointing up at tree upon which numerous squawking parrots are perched). Back in the late sixties there was some crook working the tarmac at JFK unloading cargo planes and he liked to keep some cargo for himself. Only he got more than he bargained for when he opened one from Argentina. It turns out that it was packed full of parrots. Once they flew the coop they took up roost here, multiplying in numbers and noise ever since. So maybe our cabbie killer got his tarps from someplace in this vicinity."

Unfortunately, while CSI's exposition is more or less on target, the parrots shown aren't real wild Quaker Parrots, but seem to be Conures and/or Caiques. Apparently, much of CSI NY is actually shot in California (where Quakers are illegal), hence the odd substitution.

I'm gratified that the Brooklyn Parrots are now solving crimes for the NYPD, but am more than a bit miffed at CBS, because the last thing I want is for people to start racing to Brooklyn looking for flocks of wild Caiques and Conures (there are none here). I don't mean to squawk, but there are enough wild myths about the wild parrots in Brooklyn floating around -- the last thing we need is more misinformation served up to the credulous multitudes!