Parrots of North America

When people think of North American* , they typically don't think of parrots, which are more commonly associated with and . But in some parts of the , parrots are becoming an increasingly common sight. In a relatively short time, parrots have appeared in 28 states. While some populations have died out, but others have thrived. While they seem to have popped up overnight, parrots have actually been appearing gradually, with a few being introduced each . This, as well as 2 native species of parrot, result in a long and fascinating history for North American parrots. Few people know that North America has native parrots. This is likely because neither is found here today. The Carolina was once found in the southeast United States, although sources differ on their exact boundaries. However, all agree that their last holdout was , where the last wild were shot in 1910. The very last , which died in 1918, lived in the Cincinnati zoo, alongside the last Passenger pigeon. The Carolina Parakeet was driven to by , capture for the trade, and both for and as an agricultural . Flocks could easily devastate orchards, earning them the wrath of farmers. Carolina parakeets were very susceptible to hunting. Unlike most species, which flee when an individual is killed, Carolina parakeets return to their fallen comrades. This behavior made them easy targets. These strong social bonds, their colorful appearance, and their voracious appetites ultimately spelled doom to the Carolina parakeet. On the other side of the United States, the Chiricahua Mountains of Arizona hosted the Thick-billed parrot. Unfortunately, as Americans spread west, the parrot suffered under shooting and habitat destruction. By 1938, the species had been extirpated from the United States, although it persisted in . An attempt was made in 1989 to reintroduce the parrot to the Chiricahuas. Birds raised in zoos and taken from Mexico were released at Rustler Park, near the center of the mountain range. Unfortunately, due in large part to predation by Northern goshawks, the attempt failed, and the last Thick-billed parrots were seen at the nearby Barefoot Junction Park in 1993. A parrot was seen in New Mexico in 2003, but this is believed to be an escaped pet. There have been no subsequent sightings outside of Mexico, where it is endangered. Conservation groups are hoping that another reintroduction attempt can be made in the near future. Hopefully, this will be successful, and we will be able to undo some of the mistakes of the past. After the Thick-billed Parrot was extirpated in 1938, there were no parrots of any kind in North America. That changed in 1965, when started appearing in Florida. Florida remains the stronghold for North America parrots. Of the 46 species that have occurred in North America only 1, the Thick-billed, has never been seen in Florida. Many of the state's parrots are found in the city of Miami. 38 species have been seen in the city. 12 have been seen nowhere else in the continent. 25 species were introduced in Miami. This city occasionally has waves of introductions. Between 1985 and 1988, 13 species were introduced within a few miles of each other. The reason for this is unknown, but it is likely due to something happening to pet stores in the area. Another factor in Miami's parrot diversity is its climate. Southern Florida is a warm, semi-tropical area, and it most closely mirrors the native habitats of most parrots, which allows so many of them to thrive. Second to Miami in parrot diversity is Los Angeles, where 13 species have been seen. The vast majority of these are found in Pasadena, which has become well known for them. Increasing numbers are also found in Burbank. Only 2 species are not widely found in either of these areas—the and the Rose-ringed parakeet. While both have been seen in Pasadena, the Nanday is far more abundant in the western Santa Monica Mountains, where it is effectively the only parrot. The Rose-ringed, on the other hand, has a small population concentrated around Marina Del Rey, and that population is shrinking fast. Further inland is Burbank, where I have observed the parrots for the last 7 . While a "Super-flock" of 100 or so Amazona parrots is now a common sight all over Burbank (usually in winter), the story, which starts in the spring of 2010, is actually far more interesting. That year, I first noticed small flocks of parrots near my home. Before long, I identified these as Mitred parakeets. The largest flock I ever saw was about 20 birds. That summer, the Mitred flock disappeared. The species reappeared in 2013 and since then, they have been seen in very small numbers, never more than 5 birds at a time, usually 1 or 2 sightings per year. After the Mitred parakeets vanished, they were replaced by Yellow-chevroned parakeets. These small, unobtrusive birds are far more resilient than the Mitred parakeets. The Yellow- chevrons are still frequently seen today. They are usually seen in pairs or small groups, flying high up, and calling to one another. The Yellow-chevroned only dominated for a year. By 2011, they had been replaced by the larger Red-crowned parrot. Red-crowned parrots are gregarious, even by parrot standards. They were the foundation of the Super-flock, which first appeared in 2012. Also in 2012, the Red- crowns were supplemented by the similar Red-lored parrot. The Red-lored has never been very common, with only about 5-10 birds being seen. For the next 2 years, the Super-flock was almost entirely Red-crowned, with a small percentage of Red-lored. Then, I took some pictures that changed everything. One morning, in 2014, the Super-flock landed in my backyard, which was a relatively common occurance. I had recently received a camera, and I was quick to take my first photographs of the parrots. At first glance, they followed my expectations: all Red-crowned, except for a handful of Red-lored. When I examined the photos closely, I was stunned to find that two-thirds of the Red-crowned parrots were actually Lilac-crowned parrots, which had not been observed before. In the following months, the Lilac-crowned parrots took over the flock. For 3 years, every sighting was of Lilac-crowned parrots. Dozens of surveys of the Super-flock failed to yield any other species. In February of 2017, that changed. The flock again landed near my yard, but instead of a homologous flock of Lilac-crowned parrots, I observed and photographed a mixed flock, including Red-crowned parrots and Red-lored parrots. While the 2 of these combined only totaled 10 birds (the other 90 were Lilac-crowned), this was still the first time they had been observed in 3 years. A few days later, I made another intriguing observation. The flock was seen at John Burroughs High School, where I was a student at the time, and I photographed a White- fronted parrot. This species, declining in Pasadena, had never previously been seen in Burbank at all. While Burbank's parrots have a fascinating history, the parrots here are insignificant next to the ones living in Pasadena. Pasadena is essentially the western equivalent of Miami, with the highest species diversity of any city on the west coast. Of the 13 species of parrot in Los Angeles, all have been seen in Pasadena. It also contains the largest flocks seen anywhere in the country. The all-time record is over 2,000 birds, of 6 different species (mostly Red-crowned Parrots), seen in a single flock. In addition to the largest populations, Pasadena also hosts some of the smallest. It is the last holdout for the Turquoise-fronted parrot, which disappeared in Florida in 2016. The population in Pasadena is currently in decline, and may already be extinct. The only Yellow-headed parrots in are also found in Pasadena. Despite its wide variety of species, no parrots were originally introduced in Pasadena (5 species were introduced elsewhere in L.A.). While native parrots have been extinct in North America since 1938, there may still be some naturally occurring parrot populations in North America because of accidentals and vagrants. The populations of parakeets, Red-crowned parrots, Yellow-headed parrots, and Red-lored parrots may have been formed by vagrants from the nearby Mexican populations. The Texas populations may also have been formed by introduced birds, but it is impossible to determine either way. Another accidental is the Hispaniolan Parrot, which was seen in Miami from 1988-89. The island of Hispaniola is not far from the Florida coast, and an autumn storm could've easily blown the off course. This bird may also be an escaped pet, but once again, this can't be definitely proven one way or the other. Parrots in North America have a long and fascinating history. From the natives, which were driven out, to the introduced birds that abound in L.A. and Florida. 46 species have been seen here, and although only 27 remain, parrots have become a part of our continent, and they seem to be here to stay. The near future may see the disappearance of some species, or the arrival of others. We will just have to wait and see.

*North America will be defined as the ABA area.

By: Alexander deBarros