Southern California’s urban and suburban landscapes are home to an unexpected and vibrant avian population: wild parrots. These colorful birds, with their distinctive calls and flocking behaviors, have become a familiar sight for many residents. Their presence often sparks curiosity, leading people to wonder about the origins of these tropical birds in a region far from their native habitats.
Unexpected Residents
Their bright green, red, and yellow plumage contrasts against local foliage and cityscapes. They move in noisy, often large, flocks, their calls echoing through neighborhoods and parks, especially during dawn and dusk. This prominent display sets them apart from native bird species, making them a noticeable and intriguing characteristic of Southern California’s fauna. Their gregarious nature and aerial acrobatics draw attention, prompting questions about how such exotic birds came to thrive here.
Unraveling Their Origins
These wild parrots are not indigenous to Southern California; their presence stems primarily from the pet trade. Before stricter regulations were put in place, large numbers of parrots were imported into the United States, often from Latin America. Many of the current wild populations are descendants of birds that either escaped from captivity or were intentionally released by their owners.
Incidents like a 1959 fire at Simpson’s Garden Town Nursery in Pasadena freed dozens of parrots. Other accounts include bird traders accidentally releasing birds during transport or smugglers releasing parrots to avoid capture after import bans in the 1980s. These events contributed to the initial establishment of small, localized populations that eventually grew and spread throughout the region.
Identification of Key Species
Southern California hosts at least 11 different types of wild parrots, predominantly from Latin America. Key species include:
Red-crowned Parrot (Amazona viridigenalis): Primarily green with a bright red forehead and crown, native to northeastern Mexico.
Lilac-crowned Parrot (Amazona finschi): Mostly green with a pale lilac crown and nape, and some reddish markings on its forehead, originating from the Pacific coast of Mexico.
Mitred Conure (Psittacara mitratus): A larger, predominantly green parakeet with varying amounts of red on its head, native to the Andes Mountain region of Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina.
Yellow-chevroned Parakeet (Brotogeris chiriri): A smaller, mostly green bird with a distinctive yellow edge on its folded wings, from tropical South America.
Thriving in a New Home
These non-native parrots have successfully adapted to Southern California’s urban environment due to several favorable conditions. The region’s mild climate, with its warm temperatures and mild winters, closely resembles their native tropical and subtropical habitats, allowing them to survive year-round. A significant factor in their success is the abundance of non-native ornamental plants widely used in landscaping throughout Southern California. These introduced trees and shrubs provide a consistent and diverse food supply, including fruits, seeds, blossoms, and nectar, which many native birds do not utilize.
Urban areas offer ample nesting sites, such as cavities in mature palm trees, crevices in buildings, and large holes in other trees, suitable for their breeding habits. The parrots’ inherent intelligence and social behaviors also contribute to their ability to locate resources and form self-sustaining flocks, enabling their continued proliferation in this new territory.