Monk Parakeet: The Wild Parrots of Miami Beach

Monk Parakeet aka. Quaker Parrot
Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, Florida USA
April 2016
Member of the Lorie, Parakeet, Macaw, and Parrot Family
§A Flock of Parakeets§


Native To: Southern South America, mainly Argentina. A popular pet bird for their ability to learn how to talk, they've been taken all over the world. Self-sustaining feral populations began appearing in the 1960's. Although their largest population is in South Florida, there are pockets as far north as New York and Chicago. Where else do these guys live? They adapt so remarkably well to city life that there are parakeets in Spain, Portugal, Azores, Madeira, Balearic Islands, Gibraltar, France, Corsica, Malta, Cyprus, Sardinia, Italy, Channel Islands, Great Britain, Ireland, Belgium, British Columbia, Mexico, Brazil, Israel, Bermuda, Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Easter Island, Puerto Rico, South Korea, and Japan. They may not be quite as idolized as their cousins in San Francisco, but as far as feral parrots go, they're a pretty big deal.
 
~true bird fact~ Literally the only parrot to build nests out of sticks and branches rather than living in tree-hollows. They live communally, at times with groups of up to 200 birds, which is also unusual. This strangely divergent evolution seems to be the key to their ability to succeed and thrive in places that are normally too cold for parakeets.

Diligent and workmanlike
Shy, but works hard to overcome it
Does best in high pressure situations
Family-oriented