Los Angeles CA
4-16-2024 11:00pm

SFV Wild Parrots Attract Our Attention

Recent attention has focused on the parrot population in Southern California. We heard them and snapped this image above of one flying with a dozen other "friends"!

A November 2023 PetHelpful article detailed the origins of an increasing wild parrot population. The background included the fact some of our "wild parrots" originated elsewhere in the world and were brought here but then were either released or flew from their captivity.  Here are some stats:

  • 372 species of parrots/parakeets have been identified worldwide
  • 11 species of wild parrots inhabit 35 communities of Southern California
  • Theories of how the population of parrots increased dramatically include:
    • Birds escaped when the roof of an aviary was destroyed. 
    • Dozens of parrots were released during a pet shop fire in the 1970's 
    • Smugglers release the birds rather than be arrested for possession
    • Some are from the old Busch Gardens at Anheuser-Busch brewery in Van Nuys.
    • Escaped from private residences, even if caged
  • An article in 1991 by L.A. Times Aaron Curtis, detailed the growing population Call of the Wild : Pet Parrots on the Loose Grow in Number - Los Angeles Times (latimes.com) as well in 1995 A Proliferaton of Ferral Parrots : Los Angeles Times (latimes.com)
  • 1997 census by, Kimball Garrett, revealed there were about 2,500 wild parrots in Southern California!
    • Ornithology Collections Manager for the Los Angeles Natural History Museum (responsible for collecting and labeling birds). p0181-p0195.pdf (unm.edu)
    • Kimball studied their eating preferences & other characteristics, which is all detailed in the article.
  • A recent article by the L.A. times  addressed the increasing noise of the birds, attributing it to both seasonal and timing during the day  Why L.A. parrots are getting louder - Los Angeles Times 
  • Parrots do not eat local insects but rather prefer vegetation similar to their natural habitat
  • Importing parrots were banned in the 1980s  
  • Parrots do not steal local, native, bird eggs, nests, or hatchlings
  • Their predators include: Peregrine falcons, Cooper's hawks, and red-tailed hawks  
  • The Illegal Parrot Trade In Mexico | Defenders of Wildlife 
  • Californiaflocks, in Long Beach CA, is an online parrot monitoring site organized by photographer of the birds Salvatore Angius, who grew up in Lima, Peru.
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