Black-hooded Parakeet: New Feral BreedingSpecies in California'?.

LannyH. Fiskand David M. Crabtree*

The sighting of four wild Black-hooded Figure1. Lengthis about12 in., of whichthe long Parakeets, Nandayus nenday (Vieillot), in a tapering tail accountsfor nearly half. In addition residential area of Loma Linda, San Bernardino to its colorful plumage, the bird's raucous County, California on December 22, 1972 has squawkingmakes it quiteconspicuous among the promptedus to investigatethe presentstatus of local avifauna. these birds in the area. We have attempted to In attempting to discoverfrom where the birds determineplace of origin, range and habits in or- may haveescaped, we contactedlocal aviariesand der to assesstheir chance of survival. We have ob- pet shopsas well as governmentalagencies. Only served and photographedthe birds since the one possiblesource has been found; we consider springof 1972, and believewe have tracedthem this the most probable place of origin for the back to the original escapein the fall of 1969. escapedbirds we are now observing.A parrot Although our main source of information on aviculturistin Yucaipa, California reportedthat a nestingcomes from verbal communicationwith breeding pair of Black-hooded Parakeets ac- local residents,testimony of the personsinvolved cidentallyescaped from an openair aviaryalong Is corroborativeand we believe indicates,along with severalother psittacinesin a storm and flood with other supportingevidence, that the Black- in the fall of 1%9. Soonafter the escapethe pair hooded Parakeet has bred and successfullyraised was reported in the Loma Linda area, about ten youngin the wild in southernCalifornia. miles from Yucaipa, but recaptureattempts were Little published information is available con- unsuccessful.In the fall of the following year cerningNandayus nenday, the only speciesof the (1970) the former owner received word that there genus.Meyer de Schauensee(1%6, 1970)lists it as were now four or five Black-hooded Parakeets in a residentof southernBrazil, Paraguay,southern Loma Linda and thereforea successfulreproduc- Bolivia, and northernArgentina. Orfila (1937) and tion was believedto have taken place. We have Olrog (1959) containillustrations of the species been unable to find anyonewith information on and giveshort descriptions. A few noteson nesting the birdsfrom that dateuntil the springof 1972. behaviorhave alsobeen presentedby Naumberg A aviculturist,Mrs. GeorgiaA. McCrory,in the (1930). No recordof previousintroductions of this community of North Loma Linda informed us that specieshave been found; hence,this is apparently two Black-hoodedParakeets began frequenting the first report of the Black-hoodedParakeet, also her yard in March or April, 1972, probablyat- called the Nanday Conure, in the wild state in tracted by the squawkingof her JendayConure, North America. Aratingajandaya, and otherpsittacines housed in Distinguishingfield marks for Nandayus in- large outdooraviaries. Several neighbors report clude generalbright greenplumage with a black hood extendingback to just behind the eye and *Departmentof Biology,Loma Linda University,Loma rust red feathers on the tibiotarsal region. See Linda, CA 92354.

Volume 28, Number I 11 birds werebeing seen;those believed to have been the older birds disappearedat that time and have not been seen since. The aboveaccount, although not verifiedby our direct observationand thus constituting cir- cumstantialevidence, still suggeststhat the Black- hooded Parakeet has bred in the wild in Califor- nia. Rogers(1969) listsNandayus henday as "con- sistentand regular breeders" in captivity. Other aviculturaltexts also mention the free breedingof this species(Seth-Smith, 1926; Tavistock, 1929; Prestwich, 1949, 1952; Bates and Busenbark, 1969).Since various parrots are routinelyraised outdoorsin our area we do not find it surprising that if escapedbirds were able to find suitable nestingsites, they could breedand raise young. The Nanday'snatural habitat of openwoodlands and palm groves (Wetmore, 1926; Meyer de Schauensee,1970), indicates conditions similar to those in southern California. However, whether the birds become successfullyestablished or not will dependon morethan their ability to produce one or two broodsin the past three years. It can even be doubted that there is sufficient feral breeding stock to maintain itself without further Figure 1. The Black-hoodedParakeet, Nandayus nen- introductions. Provided the birds did become day,a recentintroduction to southernCalifornia, feeding on chinaberries. established,we would still not be able to predict with any degree of certainty the effects the in- their presenceat aboutthe sametime. The birds troduced specieswould have on the existing were observedby local residentsalmost daily until avifauna.The descriptionsby Kerr (1892, 1901)of late summer(July?) when one of the birds sud- "very large flocks" in some parts of South denlydisappeared. The other parakeetcontinued Americado causeone to considerthe possibleim- feeding in the neighborhoodand made frequent pact. trips to a cottonwoodtree locatedin a grove of From December to April 1973, the four eucalyptusa few blocks away. This routine is remainingparakeets were observedonly within a reportedto havecontinued for aboutthree weeks restrictedrange of two to three squaremiles, the when the secondbird reappeared.After another outline of which closelyparallals the city limits of week and a half of frequent trips to the cot- Loma Linda. Two roostingareas are locatedat ex- tonwood tree by both birds, an immature bird treme ends of this area with numerousfeeding returned with the adults. Over the next week at localitiestoward the interior. To our knowledge one or two day intervals three additional im- the parrotshave not molestedcitrus orchardsor mature parakeetsappeared. Although near-adult othercultivated fruits within this territory. size the immature birds were recognizedby their During the time we have observedthe feeding awkwardnessand duller plumage. We have habits of the parakeetstheir principal food item examinedthe supposednest tree and found three has been seeds of the Chinaberry, Melia possible nesting sites. The Black-hooded azedarach,a small tree native to Asia, commonly Parakeets,like most other membersof the family, as an ornamental in the southern United States typically nest in natural cavitiesand old wood- and now naturalized in some areas (Abrams, pecker holes. The three separateexcavations in 1951).We are unawareof any otherbird capable deadportions of thistree, at heightsof 40-60 feet, of cracking the hard fruits of this tree; thus the had rather large entrancesbut otherwisewere parakeets may be the only animals currently typical abandonedwoodpecker nesting cavities. utilizing this abundantfood source.The birds also One of the three holesis still visitedfrequently by visitvarious palms and mayfeed on the palm fruit the parakeetsand may be usedas a roost.These or nuts as members of this speciesdo in their six birds remained as a group in the Loma Linda native habitat (Wetmore, 1926). In addition Nan- area until December 1972, a short time before we dayus henday is apparently a partial ground first observedthem. By mid-Decemberonly four feeder since we have on several occasions seen

12 American Birds. February 1974 them feedingin a harvestedcorn field, sometimes ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS right alongsidethe also-introducedRock Doves, Columbia livia. The parakeets have also been We are grateful to J. W. Hardy, C. D. Clausen, reported frequenting gardensin the Loma Linda L. R. Brand, E. W. McCluskey, R. E. Ryckman, area during the springand patchesof sunflowerin L. R. Davisand A. C. Thoresenfor offeringhelp- the summer. From theseobservations it appears ful information and constructive criticism of an that a variety of food sources are available and earlier draft of this note. We also thank the that the parakeetshave quite readily adjustedto National Science Foundation for a predoctoral take advantageof them. fellowshipto one of us (L.H.F.) during the time On three occasions we have observed in- these observationswere made. This report was terspecific aggressionbetween the Nandays and made possiblethrough the cooperationof local the ubiquitousStarling, $turnus vulgaris. Each residents who have freely discussedwith us their time the squabble was over roosting rights to knowledgeof the parakeets. either a tree cavity or densepalm fronds. The ap- parent lack of competitionover wild foods may then be in part balanced by competition with LITERATURE CITED another introduced species over roosting and nestingsites. If the speciescontinued to increase Abrams, L. 1951. Illustrated flora of the Pacific states suchcompetition would become more acute. Vol. III, Geraniaceaeto Scrophulariaceae.Stan- Feral psittacines are often accused of being ford Univ. Press,Stanford, California. 866 pp. reservoirs of diseases transmissible to man and Bates, H. and R. Busenbark. 1%9. Parrots and related domestic animals. Of particular concern in birds. 2nd Edition. T. F. H. Publications, Jersey southern California is potentiality of escaped City, N. I. 494 pp. parrots to carry Exotic Newcastle disease and Bull, I. 1971. Monk Parakeetsin the New York City transmit it to poultry. For this and other reasonsit region.Linnaean News-Letter, 25:1-2. Cahalane, V. H. and others. 1%5. Report of the com- is our opinion that the Black-hoodedParakeet, mitteeon bird protection.Auk 82:477-491. like all other recent avian escapes,deserve con- Kerr, I. G. 1892. On the avifauna of the Lower Pilco- stant surveillance.In the courseof this study we mayo,Ibis 4:120-152. have found three other speciesof Psittacidaeat Kerr, I. G. 1901.On the birdsobserved during a second large in the area. A groupof five Amazons,three zoologicalexpedition to the Gran Chaco. lbts Arnazona ochrocephala, the Yellow-headed 1:275-236. Parrot and two Arnazona auturnnalis, the Red- Meyer de Schauensee,R. 1%6. The speciesof birds 1ored Parrot, were located in the downtown area of of South America and their distribution. The Acad- San Bernardinowhere they are reportd to have emyof NaturalSciences, Philadelphia. 577 pp. beenliving for four or five yearswithout change in Meyer de Schauensee,R. 1970. A guide to the birds of South America. The Academy of Natural Sci- number. One Budgerigar,Melopsitta undulatus, ences,Philadelphia. 470 pp. was also seen in Loma Linda; it is a common Naumburg,E. M. B. 1930. The birds of Matto Grosso, escapewhich neverseems to live long in the wild Brazil. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 60:1-432. state. Inasmuch as wild parrots are potential Olrog, C. C. 1959. Las Aves Argentinas. Instituto disease reservoirs and many regularly raid "Miguel Lillo," Tucuman, Republica Argentina ripeningcitrus and other fruit orchards,the status 343 pp. of all parrots in California should be carefully Orfila, R. N. 1937. Los PsittaciformesArgentinos followed. Hornero 6:365-383. Severalother escapedparakeets have recently Prestwich,A. A. 1949. Recordsof parrot-like birds bred in the United States of America. A. A. Prestwich, been reported breeding in the U.S.; the London.56 pp. Australian Shell Parakeet, Melopsittacus un- Prestwich,A. A. 1952. Recordsof parrots bred in cap- dulatus, in Florida (Cahalane et al, 1965), the tivity. A. A. Prestwich,London. 384 pp. Canary-wingedParakeet, Brotogeris versicolurus, Rogers,C. H. 1%9. Pet Library'sparrot guide. The in California and Florida (L. R. Davis, California Pet Library Ltd., London.250 pp. Department of Agriculture, personal com- Seth-Smith, D. 1926. Parakeets. Bernard Quafitch, munication), and the Monk or Quaker Parakeet Ltd., London.295 pp. Myiopsitta rnonachus,in New York (Trimm, 1972) Tavistock, H. W. S. R. 1929. Parrots and parrot-like and elsewhere.If thesereports indicate a trend, birds in aviculture. F. V. White and Co., London there is reasonfor concernthat parrot-likebirds 298 pp. Trimre, W. 1972. The monk parrot. Conservatiomst may becomepests. We hope this brief report will 26:4-5. stimulate others to volunteer information that will Wetmore,A. 1926.Observations on the birds of Argen- be helpfulto biologistsin assessingthe statusand tina, Paraguay,Uruguay and Chile, U.S. Nat future of exotic birds in the United States. Mus. Bull. 133. 448 pp.

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