A Birdcage

Huge flocks of green parrots that roam the area around Pasadena, CA. Rumors are they originally escaped from a pet store during a fire. Though they are originally from Mexico there are possibly more surviving in CA than their home.

Transcript:

It’s a beautiful morning. The sun is just starting to peek through the trees. The sky is a soft light blue with just the wisps of a few white clouds. The light breeze rustles the leaves. And then, there is another sound. Faint at first then growing. It is an unpleasant sound. A screech? No, more of a scream. A squawk on top of another squawk. Louder and louder now. The sound is not just one sound but the collection of them. A cacophony growing more intense by the second. This otherwise peaceful morning has been transformed into something unsettling, but the source of the annoyance remains unseen. 

And then you see them. The sky fills with a blur of feathers, beaks, and claws. Their wings flapping hard. Their squawk or screech, whatever that terrible noise is, fills the air as they fly overhead. They pass by your yard and your house. As they continue on the sound goes with them, fading into the distance, and the sanity of your morning returns. You’re lucky today. Today they’ve chosen another part of town to find their breakfast. To stop in the trees or on power lines to sit awhile, their droppings making a mess of whatever is unlucky enough to be below them. 

Some call them a nuisance. These creatures, living in our towns and our cities, eating our foods and making a mess of our streets. They’re not from here, their being here is unnatural. And these are not the type of birds you’re probably thinking of. The typical invasive birds you see in areas around the country. Not pigeons or crows, not starlings or sparrows. No, these are more exotic and actually quite beautiful, but that is often overlooked. Seems looks can only get you so far, even in sunny Southern California. 

The birds I’m referring to are red crowned parrots. But they didn’t ask to come here. They didn’t fly across the border from Mexico, their home country, to start a new life here. But they have made the best of it nonetheless. They’ve found a way to adapt to a new home. These birds, living in trees along residential streets, flying past tall downtown buildings, just want to live their lives.

Besides their namesake head these birds are almost completely green. If you’ve lived around Los Angeles, specifically the Pasadena area, you’ve probably seen or more likely heard these birds. Usually when they’re most active, which is at dusk and dawn. A common story told about the origin of the birds in the region was that in the 1950’s there was a fire at a pet store in Pasadena that sold exotic birds. But, like a phoenix emerging from the flames, the birds were able to escape the fire and have since thrived in their new urban environment. 

It’s a fun story but there is no evidence to back it up. The more likely scenario has to do with the original home of these birds. The natural habitat for the red crowned parrot is a relatively small region in northeastern Mexico along the gulf coast. So how did they get here? It was most likely the result of what is called the pet trade, which is the sale and transportation of a species of animal from its native land to somewhere else. And while there are legal ways to do this there is also a huge market for moving these animals illegally. 

As early as the 1960s these birds started to appear in Southern parts of the US, specifically Florida, Texas, and yes, California. Unlike the theory of the pet store fire there was no single event that simply led to the populations we see today. Instead it was more likely the result of birds escaping while being illegally transported or the subsequent owners eventually releasing the birds. The pet trade brought hundreds of these parrots to California, and while they do make fine pets, many looking for beautiful and exotic birds are not ready for their, how should I put it, their more vocal nature. So they were kicked to the curb, or the trees. Their cage doors thrown open as they’re sent into this strange world to find their own way. 

And they have thrived. Despite this new environment being much more urban than they’re used to, the birds have found a new home. The residential neighborhoods are packed with fruit and nut trees that provide plenty of food for these feathered friends. Additionally, environmentalists are keenly aware of the need to preserve and create more green spaces in the vastly populous region. Not just for these birds but all the species. And it’s working, the population is growing. 

Estimates put the population of red crowned parrots in California at over 3000. And that’s good, because in Mexico their numbers are falling. Beyond the theft of thousands of these birds to the pet trade, their local habit has been decimated by deforestation and climate change. In fact the number of red crowned parrots in California might meet or exceed the number remaining in Mexico. But it’s still not enough. Their overall number remains so low that these parrots are on the endangered species list. A fact that makes their residence in California even more important.

Like most parrots they’re quite vocal and they move in flocks, called a pandemonium. Which if you’ve ever heard a few dozen parrots fly overhead, searching for a new tree for food or to rest, you’d agree the name is quite appropriate. But there is more to these birds than just loud noises and bright green feathers. These birds are home builders as well. Once finding a mate the birds stay paired together for life. Something I think most of us strive for. They’ll find a tree to build a nest in and use it over and over again. A permanent home. If birds could have welcome mats I’m sure these parrots would. And many of the parrots stick to the same flock, their own communities with familiar neighbors. 

It sounds like a pretty nice life if you ask me. At least it is for these birds now. The ancestors of those stolen from their homes, packed into cages, and brought to a foreign land. And because of them, this colony of endangered birds may have just given their species a chance at survival. Having engrained themselves into the ecosystem of their new home, California even now recognizes them as an official state bird. 

And the red crowned parrots aren’t the only ones. There are a number of species that have found sanctuary in the golden state. Ecologists see it as a model for how we can take our ever growing and expanding cities and not only add a touch of nature to them but provide an environment for these natural refugees. Just because it is our home, doesn’t mean that it can’t be their home too. These non-native birds, eating non-native fruit and nuts in a land now occupied by, lets face it, non-native people, all coexisting. 

And it’s beautiful…. albeit a bit loud. 

Today’s episode was written by me, Cory Greiner. Keepsake is produced and edited by Alex Hoelscher. If you have an idea you’d like us to explore on the show, send us an email at keepsakepod@gmail.com. 

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And finally, next episode’s item, a straw.

This has been Keepsake. Thanks for listening.