[texbirds] Re: Green Parrots
- From: Heidi Trudell <heidi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 21 Aug 2013 11:24:23 -0500
Thanks for the many responses off list!
I'd like to note that while they were among the agricultural pests in
South America, their spread in the US is slow, predictable, and
remarkably preventable - while they certainly do have an impact, it's
not at the expense of native species nor agriculture.
These are an excellent case study for folks wishing to delve into the
legal stances of various states (CA comes to mind as a state that will
confiscate and euthanize even pet Monk Parakeets/Quaker Parrots) and
they do tend to lure non-birders into looking at birds; often enough
they get called Carolina Parakeets, followed by "I thought they were
extinct" ...makes for some interesting conversations. They also fall
into the category of "someone's pet bird escaped" and when presented
with factoids about how they survive winters in Chicago, folks gain a
greater appreciation of "tropical" birds -- if you consider how far
south they nest, the temperature extremes are about the same.
Anyway, glad to see so many folks are paying attention to their local
populations!
Thanks again for all of the off-list responses and I'll get the
information passed along to TAMU!
-h
Heidi Trudell
Marathon, TX
On Tue, Aug 20, 2013 at 7:44 PM, Imre Karafiath <kossuth@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I don't know about the State Fair. However I do know that Monk Parakeets
> appeared on Long Island, N.Y. in the early 1970's as a result of an
> accidental release of birds at JFK airport. At the time, the local Audubon
> Societies, fearing another house sparrow or starling, were advocating
> extirpation of the species. In South America they are (or were) a major
> agricultural pest. And I recall reading stories in the local paper about the
> destruction of ornamental plants by these birds - some homeowners were
> extremely upset. Fortunately, the population has not grown in the
> exponential manner that some feared.
--
Civilization is the limitless multiplication of unnecessary
necessities. - Mark Twain
Big Bend Birds & Nature - http://www.bigbendnature.com
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