State home to wild monk parakeets
Native to South America, monk parakeets have made Connecticut their home for more than 50 years, according to Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Wildlife Division. While there isn’t a confirmed explanation as to how they made it here, these green and gray parrots are in towns such as Stamford, Bridgeport and Fairfield.
“They are the only wild parrots in our area,” said Patrick Comins, executive director of The Connecticut Audubon Society.
There is no official count of monk parakeets in Connecticut, nor is there an official reason explaining how these parakeets made their way to New England from Paraguay. However, they were believed to have been in captivity before arriving here, according to Brian Hess, a wildlife biologist for DEEP’s Wildlife Division. In the last 50 years that monk parakeets have resided in Connecticut, they have shown to prefer urban and suburban areas along the shoreline.
Monk parakeets thrive in warm areas, but they have adapted to the state’s weather, allowing them to survive the cold winters. The secret to their survival might be their nests, according to experts. Monk parakeets live up to 20 years and form monogamous pairs; they eat fruit and seeds, according to the Connecticut Audubon Society.
“They are colonial birds, so they gather in big groups,” Hess said. “They build these big stick nests from which they can get some shelter.”
Although these parrots are friendly — they are known for their loud singing and like to frequent bird feeders — they can get aggressively protective over their food and water resources, Hess said.
They have also brought on disputes.
In 2010, monk parakeets’ preference of utility poles for their nests prompted the United Illuminating Company to remove nests, killing around 180 parrots. This action caused a lawsuit from Darien-based Friends of Animals, Inc., which the electrical company won. The parakeets have continued to build their nests in utility poles. A research article by the University of Connecticut, published in 2014, found more than 400 parakeet landings in 19 utility poles.