Monk Parakeets

There are all sorts of urban myths about how these parrots (actually, Monk Patakeets, but also known as Quaker Parrots) ended up living in and around New York City. The one I like is about them escaping from a broken shipping crate at the JFK airport. In any case, they not only survived through the winters but prospered to such a degree that many towns are now considering them to be a pest (they are many, loud, and trashy). The ones in these pictures are from a Ridgefield, NJ colony:





Tending to the colony nest: