Breaking News: Bronx Wild Parrot Colony Bounces Back!

Wild Parrots at the Throggs Neck Little League Baseball Field, The Bronx, NY

Last June, a major wild parrot rescue operation was mounted to save more than fifty baby Quaker Parrots endangered by a planned lighting replacement project in the Bronx (you can see a photo-essay or watch a Youtube video documenting this event). The rescued baby birds were safely transported to New England, where, now fledged, they constitute a "Strategic Quaker Parrot Reserve" under the care of Foster Parrot's Marc Johnson.

Barry Schwartz, of the Maspeth Bird Haven, recently returned to the Throggs Neck Little League to survey the progress made by the colony to re-establish itself. He reports that "the colony has now built nests on all seven of the light poles; some nests are now of considerable size, and the sounds of Quakers can be heard on all four sides of the block the field occupies. I only had 15 minutes to look around, but would say that the Quakers must have laid bumper clutches since last year, making up for the ones relocated to Foster Parrots."

This happy development will be very welcome news for the residents of Throggs Neck, many of whom feared that last year's light replacement project would leave them parrotless.

Lucky Quaker Parrot Freed From California Shelter, Granted Asylum in Oregon

Quaker Parrots are illegal in California, and when one recently escaped, was sent to a shelter, and the authorities were notified, it seemed that certain death lay ahead (Pennsylvania and California both have "instant kill" policies for wild Quaker Parrots.

Fortunately, several kind-hearted humans intervened and managed to have this little bird flown to Oregon, a state willing to provide asylum for his kind. Here's to the good folks at SD Exotic Bird Rescue who saved this cute little fellow -- you can read more at SD Exotic Bird Rescue's site.

Three Cheers for Dave and Vickie Spurlin

One of the joys of the Internet is finding about fine folks who care for parrots all over the world. Dave and Vickie Spurlin run Parrots-R-4Ever Avian Rescue, in Huntsville, Alabama, a no-kill facility for parrots that have been abandoned by their owners. Their fine work sheltering abandoned parrots has recently gotten some well-deserved media attention. You can support Dave and Vickie's good works at their Website, www.parrots4ever.com.

Video: The Great Baby Quaker Parrot Rescue (Part 1)

If you're a regular reader of BrooklynParrots.com, you're aware that on June 7th of this year, a big nest teardown took place in Throggs Neck, The Bronx. (See: A Bronx Tale: The Great Baby Quaker Parrot Rescue)

Unlike many Quaker Parrot nest teardowns, this one was done with extraordinary care, with the full participation of many experts from the City of New York and private groups, including my own. 50 baby birds were rescued and are now being raised in private facilities provided by FosterParrots.com and other bird rehab groups.

This video, which I shot for inclusion in the still in-production Brooklyn Parrots Movie, runs for about six and a half minutes. It does not cover all the events which happened that day, or all the people who contributed to this successful rescue operation. But it does give a flavor of the day, especially in terms of showing how concerned the neighbors were about the parrots' well being.

There are still many unresolved issues which I intend to cover in Part 2 (and possibly Part 3) of this sequence. How are the rescued babies doing? What will happen to them? Will they ever be reunited with their parents? Please stay tuned to this site to find out the answers to these questions.

Please Help FosterParrots.com Take Care of These Little Guys

Some of the baby Quaker Parrots rescued from the Throggs Neck Little League, June 7, 2007 (photo credit: Alison Evans-Fragale)

Taking care of nearly 50 rescued baby Quaker Parrots is a big job, and Mark, Karen, Paul, and other volunteers at FosterParrots.com have done amazing work in the past few weeks. Feeding these hungry little guys takes nine hours a day, and the food they eat isn't exactly cheap. If you can help with just a few dollars, it would make a big difference. All funds raised go directly to the care of these rescued baby parrots, you can send money electronically, and all donations are tax deductible. Thanks much!

Press Release: Maspeth Bird Haven Seeks Support for Parrot Rescue

Barry Schwartz (who participated in the Great Baby Quaker Parrot Rescue Operation last week in the Bronx), sent this press release out to 30 newspapers today. None of the volunteers in this project are being paid for their time, but these hungry little birds need to be fed and housed. If there's any way you can help, please do.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 19, 2007

MASPETH BIRD HAVEN SEEKS SUPPORT FOR PARROT RESCUE
Co-Founder Helps Save Quaker Parakeets in the Bronx

Maspeth, NY -Barry A. Schwartz, vice-president and co-founder of Maspeth Bird Haven, Inc. (MBH), a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit parrot rescue and adoption organization, assisted with the rescue of 43 Quaker Parakeet chicks and eggs, at a job-related project site in the Throgs Neck section of the Bronx, on Thursday, June 7, 2007.

Mr. Schwartz, a geologist and project manager at the New York City Department of Design & Construction, along with several other co-workers, helped to remove the Quaker Parakeets at a City construction site. The chicks were then driven up to a rescue facility in Massachusetts, where they will be cared for. The Quakers were nesting some 40 feet above ground, in huge nests built on the service platforms on four of a baseball field’s light poles.

These parrots, whose origins are from southern South America, mainly Argentina, are natural nest-builders in the wild, and can be found in parts of Brooklyn, the Bronx, Connecticut, New Jersey, and even in Chicago, and are able to thrive in the more temperate and chilly climates. Although considered an invasive species (as are pigeons, starlings, and several other species of birds), Quakers Parakeets are harmless and have not been proven to pose a threat to any other species in the United States.

In New York City, colonies of Quaker Parakeets have been established since the late 1960’s, when they were still being imported, and before the ban on the import of parrots went into effect in 1992. Escaped Quakers formed the first established colonies in Brooklyn, and since then, Quakers that may have escaped from breeders and pet shops may have contributed to the establishment of other colonies in the metropolitan area.

The Throgs Neck Quakers’ nests needed to be removed for a light replacement project, and for the safety of electrical contractors working on the light poles, which illuminate a Little League ball field. The good news is that the adult Quakers have begun to rebuild their nests, and the chicks are doing well in the hands of the world-renowned rescue organization and sanctuary, Foster Parrots Ltd, of Rockland, MA.

The cost of caring for and feeding the baby Quakers, which ranged from a few days old to a few weeks old when they were pulled from the nests, is escalating, and on behalf of Foster Parrots Ltd., Maspeth Bird Haven, Inc. is seeking donations for the purchase of food and supplies, until the baby parrots do not have to be weaned anymore. Donations may be sent directly to Foster Parrots Ltd., P.O. Box 650, Rockland, MA 02370, and the sanctuary is a 501(c)(3) organization.

The whole story, along with photographs, can be seen at the web site www.brooklynparrots.com, hosted by Steve Baldwin.

Foster Parrots Ltd.’s website is at www.fosterparrots.com.

The public can find out further information about Maspeth Bird Haven, Inc. on the Internet at mysite.verizon.net/vzermrgu.