Wild Neighbors: Parrots in Berkeley: The Readers Respond

Berkeley mitred parakeet among persimmons. Photo Newton X. Liu Last week’s column, about Berkeley’s flock of parrots (or, depending on the source, parakeets or conures) drew a gratifying response. There are lots of keen observers out there, and I appreciate all your messages. Although some mysteries remain, it’s now possible to make a positive identification of the birds, map their cruising range, and draw a composite picture of their daily routine.  

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Wild Neighbors: In Search of the Wild Parrots of Berkeley

Mitred parakeet drinking at a rooftop, Miami Springs, FLA couple of weeks back, I got an e-mail from a reader suggesting a column about the Berkeley parrot flock. In trying to pull that column together, I was struck by how little I knew about these birds—in contrast to their celebrity cousins in San Francisco. 

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Wild Parrots Tame the Concrete Jungle

Red-crowned Amazon (Amazona viridigenalis) in Ocean Beach, San DiegoSAN DIEGO, Southern California has a vast array of transplants lured by the moderate climate and endless days of sunshine, and perhaps none are more exotic than the urban parrots that have come to colonise bedroom communities ringing major cities like San Diego and Los Angeles.

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Parrots prosper in Orange County

Parrots may be endangered in the wild but they are doing fine in O.C.

Yellow-headed Amazon (Amazona oratrix)Parrots might be gravely endangered in their native rain forests, but not in Orange County, where they've taken up residence in large flocks, attracting both love and hate from people who share their space.

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