A red-crowned parrot eats a berry in a tree in South Pasadena on Monday. Wild parrots have been spotted in the Inland Empire, prompting calls to the Inland Valley Humane Society. photos by james carbone Residents of the Inland Empire have been waking up to squawking, audible even through closed windows. The culprit? Parrots.
“I think it’s been decades and they’ve just kind of survived here,” said Beth Les, Inland Valley Humane Society field services supervisor for the Humane Society.
Several red-crowned parrots in a tree in South Pasadena. Some Inland Empire residents have been annoyed by the influx of parrots, but others have been more welcoming. Not native to California, Les said the parrots may have originally been pets that have escaped and were even dying out for a few years, but have made a comeback in recent years.
“Nature evolves and it changes and it comes around and goes around. That’s how it’s going to be,” Les said.
While some residents have been annoyed to the point of calling the IVHS, many have simply been intrigued by the vocal birds.
“They don’t bother me a bit!,” said Gene Bohot, 68, and a resident of Chino. “They’re just curious. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen them here. They like to hang upside down in my redwood tree. Everyone just seems interested. It’s just cool.”