9/9/14
Florida is the land of
invasive species. Because of our status as a center for the importing of exotic
pets and houseplants from overseas, and our neo-tropical climate, we have been
invaded by everything from kudzu plants to Burmese pythons.
One of these non-native
settlers is the Black-Hooded Parakeet, also known as the Nanday Parakeet or
I have seen flocks of these
birds several times and a flock was hanging around the airport when I flew in
last week. Their calls are astounding. That led me to do some research on these
delightful creatures. Enjoy this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NQwdcBXaVI
It's not known exactly
how and where the birds entered Florida. The initial reports happened in 1969,
and centered in the Tampa and Miami areas. Both have ports that are major hubs
for the exotic-pet import industry, so it's conceivable that a shipment of
birds could have escaped from either one of these areas, or both. In other counties,
it is possible that the birds are escaped or released pets.
Colonies of Black-Hooded
Parakeets have been found in at least 19 counties in Florida. In ten of these,
including Pinellas County (the St Petersburg area just to the north of us),
they are known to be breeding. Individual birds can live as long as 25 years.
There is no missing a
flock of Black-Hooded Parakeets. The birds are about a foot tall, with a
two-foot wingspan, and travel low to the ground, in flocks of 20-30. The bright
electric-green body with bluish breast and jet-black hood and beak make them
conspicuous and unmistakable, but their loud raucous continuous calls and
piercing squawks usually mean you can hear them long before you can see them.
Urban Florida is a
perfect habitat for the birds. In the wild, they feed on seeds, palm fruits,
and flower buds, and prefer habitats at the edges of clearings and in open
grasslands. Urban areas, with their parks and suburban lawns, suit them
wonderfully. They nest in tree cavities, and have broods of three or four at a
time. In their native wild, they are one of the few parrot species that are not
in environmental danger.
So what is the State of
Florida planning to do about the uninvited guests? There's nothing it can do. The birds are already widely established and already
breeding. It is expected that eventually they will spread to cover the entire
state.
If you’d like more
information on the wild parrots of Florida, check out this blog http://floridaswildparrots.blogspot.com/
