The Monk Parakeet: A New York Success Story

Words and Photos by Rich Nardo

Much to the delight of south shore Long Islanders, monk parakeets are popping up more and more each year in our area. Personally, my wife and I are fortunate enough to have a company of about 30 living in our neighborhood year round, adding a dash of tropical vibes to dreary winters and putting the final touches on our idyllic summer scenes. 

While most Long Islanders are surprised to see them, monk parakeets have been hanging around here since the late 60s, and have beautifully acclimated themselves to the New York City area. They’re tough, resourceful, and build massive communal nests similar to the apartments a lot of New Yorkers reside in, making them a perfect fit for the region. Also, like a lot of New Yorkers, our parakeet community is rumored to have started at JFK airport. 

This article will take a look at our new(ish) tropical friends - how they got here, and the similarities they share with a lot of other enclaves in the tristate area. 

The Monk Parakeet - A True New Yorker

Like a lot of New York families, monk parakeets made their homes in Brooklyn and Queens when they first arrived, and have since moved out to the suburbs (even while their cousins still live in the boroughs). It’s believed that these parrots first came to our area when a crate of parakeets destined for local pet shops broke in the sixties, setting all of the birds free in the process (more on that later!). 

Before they hit the runway (literally?) at JFK, our monk parakeets came from the temperate and subtropical regions of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. True to the neighborhood politics of most NYC groups, parakeets are community-oriented and have their own vocal dialects to communicate with each other (fuhgeddaboudit!). Also in true New York fashion, they show their friendship by grooming each other just like we like to hang out at our local barber shops and nail salons. When conflict does arise, they share the NY tough mentality, settling disagreements by meeting the problem head on.

The first published sighting of a monk parakeet in the wild in the United States was in New York in 1967. The next year, another one was reported in Chicago, and Florida got its first sighting the following year in 1969. By the 1970s, quaker parrots (another name for monk parakeets) were randomly being spotted here and there throughout the boroughs, including at Riis Park, in the Rockaways, and on Staten Island. 

Parakeets thrive in New York thanks to their diverse diet (it’s just like a New Yorker for a ready supply of different food types to be their favorite thing about the city). They eat grass blades, dandelion seeds, holly berries, native leaf and fruit buds, as well as ornamental fruits like crab apples. They’re also regulars at backyard bird feeders and get a steady dose of protein from young insects. In another bit of New York synergy, they aren’t above adding some pizza crust to their diet. 

How They Got Here

The most common theory as to how parakeets came to New York is the aforementioned escape from JFK. That being said, their origin story has never been proven and, according to Nassau County SPCA spokesman Gary Rogers, “the only place I know for sure that they came from is an egg”.  Kathleen Lynch, from the biology department at Hofstra University, adds, without endorsing the JFK theory specifically, that this theory is likely close to the truth: “I don’t think they’re migratory birds, they have to be a pet-trade thing. They’re definitely not native birds”.

There’s a similar tale tied to the Connecticut parakeet flock involving a crate falling off a truck on I-95 (New Yorkers know all about getting something that “fell off the back of a truck”, don’t we?). With additional populations growing in Illinois, Oregon, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Puerto Rico and as far away as Italy, Spain, Israel, United Arab Emirates, and Japan, it wouldn’t be surprising if each territory has a familiar origin story.

Monk Parakeet Apartments

Monk Parakeets are one of only three known parrot species that build nests out of sticks. For our focal species, they do so in a very New York way. Monk parakeet nests are usually massive and serve as a home for dozens to even hundreds of parakeets. I came across one description of these nests while researching that I really loved: labyrinthine castles that insulate multiple families. Even though the overall building of the nests is a group effort, each family has a private entrance (sooo they’re more like UES luxury apartments) and youngsters contribute by helping their parents take care of their siblings and tidying up the nest. They have limber feet that they use to weave nests through tree forks and wires as they build out structures that can, in some instances, be as large as a refrigerator and withstand a fall to the ground without much damage. 

Quaker parakeets tend to build their homes around elevated electrical equipment, such as lights or transformers, to help provide heat in the cold New York winters - something that has caused a headache on more than a few occasions for local utility companies. It’s that level of resourcefulness and ingenuity that makes me think that the parakeets will be right at home in our neck of the woods. It also makes me think that we’ll see more and more parakeet flocks popping up around the world. After all, if you can make it here, you’ll make it anywhere! 

References:

News 12 (Bronx) Article - https://bronx.news12.com/monk-parakeets-making-long-island-their-home

CBS News Article - https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/excitement-soars-over-tropical-birds-on-long-island/

Long Island Herald Article - https://www.liherald.com/stories/they-live-here-now,87346

2nd Long Island Herald Article - https://www.liherald.com/stories/island-park-residents-ponder-the-disappearance-of-local-green-monk-parakeets,93740

WBLI Article - https://www.wbli.com/entertainment/monk-parakeets-now-making-long-island-their-home/PJUHWMFACZDY3EKTFN7BV2BAF4/

Discover Magazine Article - https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/parrots-live-in-new-york-city-heres-how-they-make-it-in-the-urban-jungle

NYC Audubon Society Article - https://www.nycaudubon.org/monk-parakeet-myiopsitta-monachus

National Audubon Society Article - https://www.audubon.org/news/the-monk-parakeet-jailbird-who-made-good#:~:text=There's%20a%20legend%20that%20holds,made%20a%20break%20for%20it.