The Monk Parakeet is a South American parrot that has become a familiar city bird in parts of the United States, with well-known colonies in Florida, Texas, New York, and Chicago. It is one of the very few parrots that build their own nests, piling sticks into huge, many-roomed nests on trees and utility poles. In the pet trade it is also called the Quaker Parrot.
Appearance
- Appearance
- About 11.5 in (29 cm) long and 3.4–4.2 oz (95–120 g). Bright green above, with a pale gray forehead, throat, and breast that looks faintly scaled, dark blue flight feathers, a long pointed tail, and an orange-pink bill. Males and females look alike.
- Voice
- Loud, harsh, throaty squawks and screeches. Flocks are noisy, and each bird has a recognizable voice.
Look-alikes
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- City parks
- Suburbs
- Utility poles and towers
- Open woodland and farmland
- Range
- Native to central and southern South America (Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, and southern Brazil). Thousands were imported as pets from the 1960s to the 1980s, and escaped or released birds founded feral colonies; by 1995 they were established in about 15 states. Florida has by far the most, with Texas (Austin, Dallas, Houston), New York (Brooklyn and Queens), Connecticut, and Chicago also holding well-known colonies.
- Seasonal presence
- Year-round resident wherever it is established.
- Preferred conditions
- It is one of the few parrots of temperate climates and can get through cold northern winters. Nesting on warm electrical equipment may help.
Behavior
- Diet
- Mostly seeds, fruits, grains, and buds; it also eats some insects.
- Social life
- Very social. Several pairs share one large nest, each with its own entrance and chamber.
Life cycle
- Nest
- A big dome of interwoven sticks in a tree or on a utility pole or other structure. Colony nests can grow to the size of a small car. In a 2010–2012 study in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, about three-quarters of nests were on electric utility structures, where they can be a fire risk.
- Clutch size
- 1–11 white eggs
- Incubation
- The female incubates while the male brings her food.
- Lifespan
- About 6 years in the wild; 25–30 years in captivity.
Name and classification
- About the name
- The Cliff Parakeet of the Bolivian Andes (Myiopsitta luchsi) is treated differently by different bird checklists: some still count it as a of this bird, while others (since 2015, and more recently other major checklists) count it as a separate species. If it is split off, the tree-and-utility-pole nests described here belong to the remaining Monk Parakeets.
- Varieties and forms
- Pet birds come in color mutations such as blue, white, and yellow, but nearly all feral birds are the natural green.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction
- Threats
- In its native range it is considered a crop pest, and utilities in the US often remove nests from power equipment.
Culture and stories
- Culture and stories
- The species name monachus is Late Latin for "monk." The genus name Myiopsitta means "mouse parrot," after the bird's mouse-gray face and breast.
- Rules on keeping them vary by state. Owning or selling Monk Parakeets is banned in 13 states, including California and Pennsylvania; others such as Virginia allow pets only with banding and registration.
More species to explore
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