Thanks Dave for that background. I saw them out by the airport parking area
off NE 82nd where David Anderson once worked, probably late 80s/early 90s.
Knowing their negative impact elsewhere, I always wondered if they’d been
“quietly” removed. I’m certainly not campaigning to have them reintroduced!!
TL
From: David Irons <llsdirons@xxxxxxx<mailto:llsdirons@xxxxxxx>>
Date: Friday, April 10, 2015 at 4:16 PM
To: Thomas Love <tlove@xxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:tlove@xxxxxxxxxxxx>>, OBOL
<obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>>
Subject: RE: [obol] Monk Parakeet?
Tom,
So far as I know, Monk Parakeet was never on the "Official" Checklist of Oregon
birds. Species that were formerly on the list but are now considered extirpated
(i.e. Northern Bobwhite and Sharp-tailed Grouse) still appear on the checklist
with an indication that they are not currently considered countable in Oregon.
Monk Parakeet does not appear on this list, which is maintained by the Oregon
Bird Records Committee.
There were some quasi self-sustaining colonies around the Portland area in the
late 1970's and early 1980's. One large nest at the power substation on SE
Holgate became a fire hazard as I recall, thus it was removed by the power
company (PGE?). There were additional nesting groups, including one out by the
Portland Airport and another in a NE Portland neighborhood and I don't know
what happened with those populations. Their presence in the Portland area was
comparatively short-lived and modest. I don't think there was a time when
anyone viewed the population as robust enough or self-sustaining enough to put
Monk Parakeet on the state list.
I lived away from Portland for a good chunk of the 1980's and pretty much all
of the 1990's, so I can't tell you when the last of those birds were still
around. Since returning to Oregon in 1998, I cannot recall any reports of
'wild' Monk Parakeets. They are considered to be pest species with potential to
do major damage to agricultural crops (fruit orchards) if they become
established. It may be that a quiet effort was made to ensure that they did not
gain a foothold here in Oregon. Whatever happened, they seem to be entirely
gone from the local landscape these days.
Dave Irons
Portland, OR
________________________________
From: tlove@xxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:tlove@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [obol] Monk Parakeet?
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 2015 22:38:11 +0000
I see that MONK PARAKEET is now gone from the official list of Oregon birds.
Wondering when and where the last record was?
Tom L.
