Nanday Parakeet

Nanday Parakeet aka. Black-hooded Parakeet aka. Nanday Conure
Solstice Canyon Park, Malibu, California, USA
July 2018
Member of the Lorie, Parakeet, Macaw, and Parrot Family
§A Chatter of Parakeets§

Native To: Central South America. Namely, South-western Brazil and Bolivia, Paraguay and the northern tip of Argentina. A really hearty parakeet, and a popular companion bird, they've made stable breeding populations in a lot of places. You can find Nandays in LA, San Antonio, Phoenix, various Floridian cities, Puerto Rico, and even Haifa, Israel. They're so good at surviving that they've been banned as pets in some states, since they can have a negative impact on native species.

~True Bird Fact~ Popular pets still for their temperment and intelligence. They live up to 20 years, learn to speak, and can do tricks. They're also known to give their owners a shock by sometimes falling asleep on their back with their feet sticking up in the air. I wonder if this behavior happens in the wild...

A blogger
A new father, sporting a trademark sense of discomfort from not really knowing what he's doing
You know, if you think about it, it makes a lot of sense that posts on his blog would decrease pretty significantly, at least during the first few months of his son's life.
And I'm sure his readers won't mind and will be totally understanding, and maybe even prefer pictures of the baby over pictures of whatever he was posting before

You know, there's something about this bird and his personality that feels... familiar to me. Probably nothing. Either way, look for more exciting bird blog posts, probably like, once a month.

Red-whiskered Bulbul

Red-whiskered Bulbul aka. Crested Bulbul
Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, Arcadia, California, USA
July 2018
Member of the Bulbul Family

Native to:  India, Pakistan, Southern China, Southeast Asia

{Etymology Corner} Bulbul translates to Nightingale in Arabic or Persian. These birds are actually in a different family than Nightingales, which are Thrushes. But like, come on, it's pretty similar.

~True Bird Fact~ The Red-whiskered Bulbul in another non-native bird. They have stable, but fairly limited populations in certain cities in South Florida and Southern California, which have enough exotic plants and a similar enough climate to their home. They were also released in Hawaii and there have taken off like gangbusters, to the frustration of native bird fans. Like many non-natives, Red-whiskered Bulbul was brought to the states first as a pet. They were and are popular cagebirds in Indian and Southeast Asia, apparently being fairly easy to domesticate/train. Not a great song though, so I guess it's a wash.

Loves hugs
Goes to lots of nerd culture conventions
(Justifiably) annoyed when people ask her where she's really from

Red-legged Thrush

Red-legged Thrush (zorzal de patas coloradas)
Ardastra Gardens, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas
April 2017
Member of the Thrush Family
§A Mutation of Thrushes§ (what?)

Native To: The Bahamas, The Cayman Islands, Cuba, Puerto Rico, The Dominican Republican, and Haiti

~true bird fact~The Red-legged Thrush is basically the Caribbean Robin, meaning it has similar behaviors and occupies a similar ecological niche. Unfortunately, this means that just like the American Robin, he is cool looking, but quite boring. On the other hand, his fake bird facts are super interesting.

This bird is a pirate
In fact, he is a robot pirate, with a bionic eye that works kind of like a monocular
Prefers to target the riches colonialists or capitalists who threaten his people
Drunk pretty much 24-7 (whether this is sad or fun is up to you, reader, to determine)

More Wild Parrots in Miami Beach

White-eyed Parakeet aka. White-eyed Conure
Miami Beach, Florida USA
April 2017
Member of the Lorie, Parakeet, Macaw, and Parrot Family
§A Pandemonium of Parakeets§

Native To: Northern South America. They have a fairly wide range spread throughout Venezuela, Colombia, the Guianas, Brazil, and northern Argentina and Uruguay. First seen in the wild in Florida in 1987, they quickly established a stable population that may interbreed with Mitered Parakeets, which look really similar, but have more red on the head, and less on the wing.

~true bird fact~ Gregarious and adaptable birds, they do well with city life, even within their usual range. Normally they would nest in tree hollows or at the top of palm trees, but have adapted to use both limestone caves and the eaves of buildings as well.

Do they talk? Yes

May accidentally make light of serious issues

Maintains a persistant light mood, seemingly without much effort

Loves a good prank

Makes a big 'ahh' noise of satisfaction after eating or drinking something

Mute Swan

Mute Swan
Wetland's Edge Park, American Canyon, California, USA
Member of the Duck, Goose, and Swan Family
★The National Bird of Denmark★
§A Bevy of Swans§


~true bird fact~ Mute Swans are not native to the United States and are considered a widely disliked invasive species. All Mute Swans in the states are descended from birds brought from overseas to decorate estates, zoos, and parks. They eat a ton of aquatic plants, making survival more difficult for other waterbirds, and are exceptionally aggressive, often attacking humans and pets. The attacks are no joke either, these are very big, strong birds, and a wing-beat is strong enough to break a person's arm. A quick google search was able to confirm that they have killed, but couldn't establish in what numbers.

~alternative bird fact~ Not so fast, say several advocacy groups. There are disputes about whether or not Mute Swans could actually be native to the US in some fashion (flying over from Russia, perhaps). "Save The Mute Swans" presented fossil evidence to this effect to the US Department of the Interior, but their claim was rejected. Mute swans continue to be the subject of culling efforts or even a kill-on-site species, especially on the West Coast, where they have not established themselves as fully.


~true bird myth~ The phrase 'swan song', comes from the Mute Swan, who is fairly quiet, although not silent, throughout his life (this is where his name comes from). The legend says that this bird is silent up until the moment of his death, at which point he sings an unbelievably beautiful song before expiring. Poignant stuff.

~true bird history~ Insanely, all Mute Swans are owned by the Queen of England. They were "Claimed by the Crown" in the 12th century and the ownership is retained to this day, although it's not really used for much other than some weird annual Swan ceremony.


~haven't had enough true bird facts yet?~ This is also the lead character in The Ugly Duckling.

 

Ring-necked Pheasant

Ring-necked Pheasant aka. Common Pheasant aka. Pheasant
Wetlands Edge Park, American Canyon, California, USA
December 2016
Member of the Turkey, Grouse, and Partridge Family
§A Brace of Pheasant§
★The State Bird of South Dakota★

~true bird fact~ Like many other popular game birds, pheasants have unusually developed breast muscles (the 'white meat). What this meat is actually there for is to allow these predominantly ground-based bird to have short bursts of extremely quick flight. They can travel (briefly) almost straight up and reach nearly 40 miles per hour.


Pleasant
Loves to give and receive presents
Member of the 99 percent (a peasant)
Discontent when his time is misspent at a government event

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