Many parts of the country have invasive flocks of feral Quaker Parrots, also called Monk Parakeets-(Myiopsitta monachus) thriving in their area. It’s not just limited to semi-tropical places like New Orleans and Miami. Chicago and New York has it’s own group doing just fine through their Jet Stream winters. Many people became familiar with feral birds from the movie The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, though these were Cherry and Blue-crowned conures.

I watched these birds take this tree apart for a good while, taking the twigs away to make their giant nests, often in large power station grids- between transformers. They make a heck of a noise, too.

They are always of concern to biologists who want to know their environmental impact. In the mean time, residents and tourists are either amused or annoyed.

This is a map that tracks Uptown Monk Parakeet sightings: