THE BATTLE CRIES OF THE MONK PARAKEET

Did I just see what I thought I just saw, was what I was thinking when I saw the Monk Parakeet for the first time, back in 2005. As I was walking by a window in my house, I saw this bright green flash go by. It actually resembled a tropical Parrot! What the heck is a Parrot doing in my backyard here in Shelton, Connecticut? As I started to go outside, to see this bird, several more green flashes flew by me. There they were, 5 green tropical birds feasting at my bird feeder. Before I could grab my camera, they were gone. I couldn't believe what I had seen. I could understand one bird, perhaps he got out an open window, but 5 of them?

Days later, I came across an article in our local newspaper about the invasion of the Monk Parakeet to our area. I learned that there were large groups of these wild birds nesting in nearby towns, such as Stratford, Bridgeport and Milford. There seem to be a war going on between these wild tropical birds and our local utility company, United Illuminating.

The Monk Parakeet builds a large nest that houses, I would say about 2-30 birds at a time. I had seen these nests but believed they were the creations of squirrels. These nests are usually in pine trees. However, sometimes the Monks create their nests on top of utility poles, which were causing havoc with the utility company. It turns out that the utility company was tearing down these nests, capturing the birds and euthanizing them. This was allowed by the DEP, Department of Environment Protection Agency, because the Monk is considered to be an "invasive species".

At that time, the battle really heated up! An organization called "Friends of Animals" took up the fight against the utility company. Petitions were being signed and people were getting involved to save the Monks. The court battle made its way to the Superior Court in New Haven, where the utility company was forced to cease in the slaughter for the time being. When all was said and done, about 300 Monks were dead.

Since that time, all has been pretty quiet in the public forum. However, the battle continues here in Connecticut and I am sure in other areas of the country. Even though it is staying out of the local papers, the utility company is not satisfied with the outcome, since there are still monks creating nests atop of the utility poles.

Of course, this battle is no way new, since the first arrival of the Monk Parakeet which was many decades ago. The battles started from the beginning and will continue to rage on. With every new day comes new possibilities that one day, perhaps, the Monk and the people can co-exist in harmony. There are such areas that this is already happening.

The Monk has shown no evidence of being an "Invasive Species". On the contrary, they seem to get along fine with other feathered friends.

Today there is plenty of information out there that proves the Monk is NOT an invasive species. These birds have really adapted to the climate here in New England and in other parts of the United States. I have spent some time locating their nests and photographing them. As far as I can see, the only bothersome action of the Monk is probably their loud squawking. The majority of residents that I have I spoken with, do not have a problem with these birds.

It's been 3 years since I first became aware of the the killing of the Monk Parakeet. I am glad to see the Monk continues to live here in Connecticut and I feel they will continue to do so, hopefully, with less battles!

MONK PARAKEET (Myiopsitta monachus monachus) A/K/A Quaker Parrot

Stands about 12 inches tall
Color: Predominantly green
gray forehead, legs and scaling on breast
brown eyes
beige bill
dark blue primaries

Areas found:

Southern South America: central Bolivia, southern Brazil to central Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

North America : Alabama, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Texas (Soon to be in every state!)

Appetite for:
blossoms, cereal, fruits, grasses, insects, insect larvae, leaf buds, nuts and seeds

Nests:
Only parrot species to build stick nests. Separate chambers located in the nests. Allows other species to nest, such as sparrows

There are several myths on how the Monk Parakeet arrived here in the United States.

It is said that back in the 1960's several people released these pet tropical birds into the wild. They multiplied quickly.

Another myth is that back in the 1970's a shipment of birds was damaged at John F Kennedy airport in New York and the birds escaped.

There seems to be a battle of exactly how they got here. I would like to believe they flew!

As of December 2010, here in Connecticut the courts have sided with the utility company, however, the company continues to remove nests, and has not killed any birds in several years. There has been a definite decrease in the number of nests being created, the feeling is that the tornado that hit Stratford and Bridgeport back in June 2010 hit the parrot population very hard.

To view more of Karol's photography of other birds and other subjects, please visit the website at
http://karol-livote.artistwebsites.com/index.html or just click on the red cardinal photo to the right.