Free birds

Despite the fact proper structures have been built for them, the wild Quaker parrots continue to make their own nests in trees near Brooklyn College and in the steeple of Green-Wood Cemetery. Image by JRxpoLook, up in the sky! It’s a bird, it’s . . . hey, it is a bird, a parrot no less — in January! The Quaker parrots or monk parakeets, as they’re known, haven’t just lived in New York for decades, they survived Hurricane Sandy and are now ready to outlast a sub-zero winter.

Click to read more ...

Parrots have personal musical tastes and even like to sing-a-long, scientists find

African grey parrot (psittacus erithacus)They are known as great mimics, but now scientists have discovered that parrots also have varied musical tastes — and an intense dislike of dance tunes.

Click to read more ...

Hoping for a solution to the monk parakeet problem

Monk parakeets enyoing a pine tree. Image by Jeremy SetoHere's an unlikely bird story for the holiday season. It involves some extremely loud castaway tropical birds that have been making their year-round home in Edgewater for several decades. At first, their latest saga appeared to be turning into a feel-good story, but as of this writing, the situation appears to be, well, up in the air.

Click to read more ...

Race starts in west Cornwall to save rare wild macaws

The trust said about 130 blue-throated macaws survived in the wild. Image by David FrielAt a bird park in west Cornwall, a family of blue-throated macaws are permanent residents, which have thrived thanks to a breeding programme.

Click to read more ...

Nesting kaka spotted in central Wellington

The New Zealand kaka now breed in the City of Wellington. Image by Phillip CapperA Wellington conservationist had a lovely pre-Christmas surprise in the town belt - nesting kaka in an old tree.

Click to read more ...