Our first day in Austin, Friday - November 18 for a week-long visit with Jenn, we stopped at the post office and sighted these beautiful colorful birds. An internet research netted the following:
According to John Kelly of the Travis Audubon Society, there are about 720 Monk Parakeets living in the Austin area.
"Monk Parakeets are the only parrots which build free-standing nests (all other parrots build their nests in tree cavities and similar places)," says Kelly. "Some of those nests can be impressively large and one in South America weighed almost a ton. Local nests are never that big, but they're still pretty sturdy. The parakeets' actual living space lies in the middle of a bushel or more of twigs, so when really cold weather hits, they've got a nice, cozy home to retreat to."
Kelly adds that Monk Parakeets got their name because as far as parrots and parakeets go, they have relatively unflashy plummage. But he adds, "When the birds fly, you might be able to catch a glimpse of blue in the wings."
An excerpt from Erik Huebner's web site about the Austin Monks:
Monk Parakeets have been sighted or are established in several Texas cities including Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and Waxahachie (Rappole and Blacklock, 1994). They are now included on the Official Texas State List. In the Austin area they have been established since the 1970’s. A large number of the Austin population may have come from a release of 19 birds in 1991 by Austinite Janet Giles in the Bouldin Creek neighborhood (Gandara, 1995). These releases of “unwanted pets” and escapes by wild breeders (birds that were captured in the wild for breeding purposes) are the main source of feral populations.
Exact numbers of Monk's in the wild are unknown since little research has been conducted. John Herron from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department reports that only 2 percent of the agency’s budget go to urban and non-game programs (Personal Communication). Monk Parakeets are included in the Audubon Society’s Annual Christmas bird counts. The numbers vary since some ignore exotics and survey routes may not include urban habitats. The 1995 Christmas count put the population at 87 birds. In previous years the number has been as low as 24 in 1992.
The first reported colony of Monk Parakeets in Austin was at the Paggi House restaurant at Barton Springs Road and South Lamar Boulevard (Gandara, 1995). From there the birds have dispersed and now inhabit the tall light poles in the parks around Town Lake. They construct their large stick nests atop the tallest light poles in softball fields. The Monks seem to prefer the tallest poles, about 60 feet, although some nests are found on lower telephone poles (personal observation). One nest can be seen in a tall tree on the west side of Barton Creek at Lou Neff Point. The nests are constructed mainly of Willow
(Salix spp.) branches, but may include rope, carpet, newspaper, and cloth (personal observation). Nests are shared, and the aggressive parakeet has even been seen stealing nest material from other nests in the colony. Their diet consists chiefly of berries, tree buds and seeds, in particular Chinaberry
(Melia azedarach L.) and American Elm
(Ulmus americanus) (personal observation).
The impact of Monk Parakeets in the Austin area is yet to be understood. With an increase in reported parrot sightings in Texas, including Red-crowned Parrots and Green Parakeets, which are Mexican species as well as South Texas residents
(Click here for Harlingen, Texas Birding Site), we may have a second invasion of Psittaciforms by way of expanding range. It is logical to assume that the space they are taking is at the expense of native species, but is their presence causing a decline in populations of other birds? Further research will have to be done. They have no known predators and they are well established and flourishing. There has been no history of eradication in Austin and it is doubtful that there will be. The Monk Parakeet is probably here to stay.
Established in Austin in the early 1970s from escaped caged birds, Monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) also known as Quaker parrots, are native to the temperate and subtropical regions of Argentina and surrounding countries in South America. "Monks" are often heard before they are seen, as their call is a loud and throaty chap(-yee), or quak quaki quak-wi quarr, and their sometimes startling screeches sound like skveet! They have grown in numbers by being able to survive our mild winters, and as such have now been included on the official list of accepted Texas bird species.
A colorful bird with bright green upper parts, pale gray forehead and breast with darker scalloped edges, and very light green to yellow under parts, Monks also have an orange bill, stiff dark blue flight feathers and a long tapered tail. Technically a parrot, it is this tail that makes them a parakeet, which is a term for small- to medium-sized species of parrots that generally have long tail feathers.
Monks are the only parrots that build a stick nest, either in a tall tree or manmade structure, rather than using an existing hole in a tree. They often breed in colonies, building a single large nest that has separate entrance holes for each pair. In the wild these colonies can become quite large, with communal nests reaching the size of a small automobile.
Also unusual for a parrot, these birds occasionally have "helper individuals," typically grown offspring, who assist in feeding the young. Highly intelligent and social birds, Monks can live anywhere from 15 to 30 years, and like parrots kept as pets, they develop a large vocabulary.
Monk parakeets readily adapt to urban neighborhoods, as they are an open woodland species. A recent informal survey found more than 65 nests in Austin, mostly in cellphone towers, tall telephone poles and sports facility light poles.
Even if the nests are cleared out, many colonies return to the same place to rebuild their nest. While mainly constructed out of willow branches, these nests might include manmade items such as rope, carpet, newspaper and scraps of cloth. The Monks' diet consists of berries, tree buds and seeds, all of which can be plentiful in native and nonnative tree species common in the Austin area.
The exact number of wild Monks in our area is unknown, and evidence of harm by feral colonies of Monks is disputed. While they can be agricultural pests by eating fruits, grains and other crops, they also can benefit local economies through birdwatching-based ecotourism. It is also important to remember that tens of millions of parrots have been removed from the wild worldwide, and have been traded in greater numbers and for far longer than any other group of wild animals. Many parrot species are still threatened by this trade, as well as by habitat loss, predation by introduced species, and hunting for food or feathers.
As such, let's respect their existence and enjoy our parakeets.
