Weslaco leadership group installs parrot micro-habitats

Perched on a weathered cottonwood snag, a pair of red-crowned parrots affectionately grooms one another in the early morning. Just below and to the right of them is their nest cavity.
WE’LL ALWAYS HAVE PARROTS—Black-hooded parakeets (Nandayus nenday) are one of the 13 species of parrots that have naturalized in California. These birds can be spotted in Malibu, Latigo Canyon, Malibu Creek State Park and other local areas. On a mild and clear winter day some two or three years ago, I set out on a hike with a friend in Malibu’s renowned Escondido Falls trail, just off Pacific Coast Highway near Point Dume.