I’ve been catching a fair amount of flak for not posting more about the parrots in recent months. The truth is that I’ve been spending a lot of time with my rescue pigeon Artemis, who myself and a friend have been nursing back to health after Artemis was hit by a truck on Stillwell Avenue. I will definitely be out with more news about the parrots in the future, but for the moment, please indulge me with another content object concerning my favorite rescue pigeon!
Music inspired by Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys (the world’s greatest American band!), with a nod to the fabulous Trashmen. AI images courtesy of Microsoft Image Generator
I disagree with Curtis Sliwa on many social issues. But I greatly admire his promotion of and affection for New York City’s much-maligned, much misunderstood feral pigeons. Because he is a great friend to these noble, intelligent birds (and tells their story very well on a recent episode of his Animal Welfare podcast, I made this video.
What was life on Martha’s Vineyard (“Land of the Lotus Eaters”) really like in the 1950s? Mary Ellen Baldwin (my mom), reveals the uncomfortable truth, in her novella, “The Summer Place,” which you can watch right here:
Family names were changed in my mother’s novella.
But using this key, one can discern who exactly she was describing. Susan (main character and narrator) = Mary Ellen Baldwin (1933-2008) Bill (Susan’s beau) = Carl R. Baldwin (1931-2004) Betty (Bill’s mom) = Evelyn Preston Baldwin (1898-1962) Alec (Bill’s stepfather) = Roger N. Baldwin (1884-1981) Wally (friend of family) = Fred Rodell (1907-1980) Lucretia (Bill’s sister) = Helen Baldwin (1939-1981) Jay (Bill’s brother) = Roger R. Baldwin (1929-2020)
Amazing report from Terra Mater on the 50 or so Yellow-Headed Amazon parrots residing in the city of Stuttgart, Germany. This bird is among the most endangered species of parrot; its survival in the urban environment gives conservationists hope.
Terrific new podcast about the Monk Parakeet’s arrival in NYC in the late 1960s, the authorities’ attempts to eradicate them, and the situation we find ourselves in now. Highly recommended listening!
I was curious to see what ChatGTP “thought” about the wild parrots of Brooklyn. I asked it two basic questions and got back some reasonable results. Frankly, I have no reason to quibble with what ChatGTP has to say about the parrots — the substance of what it generated agrees with my experience and what I know from the research I’ve done.
(Note to Google and anyone else who might care: I’m notifying you — and everyone else — that the following content was created by ChatGTP and Dall-E — another AI system created by the same bunch that created ChatGTP (so please don’t zap this site!)
Question from Human: What do you know about the wild parrots of Brooklyn?
ChatGTP Answer:Wild parrots in Brooklyn refer to a population of monk parakeets, also known as Quaker parrots, that have established a feral colony in the borough of Brooklyn, New York City.
The parrots are believed to have been introduced to Brooklyn in the 1960s or 1970s, either as escaped pets or intentionally released birds. They have since adapted to the local environment, building large communal nests made of sticks and twigs on utility poles and in trees.
The Brooklyn parrot population is estimated to be around 200-300 individuals, and they can be found in several neighborhoods including Green-Wood Cemetery, Marine Park, and Brooklyn College. They have become somewhat of a local icon and are enjoyed by many Brooklyn residents, although some people view them as a nuisance due to their noise and tendency to damage utility equipment.
The parrots are not native to the United States, and there is concern among some conservationists that they may outcompete native birds for resources. However, the population in Brooklyn appears to be stable, and efforts have been made to protect their habitat and nesting sites.
Question from Human: Can you add some more detail?
ChatGTP Answer:Monk parakeets are a small species of parrot native to South America. They are known for their distinctive green and gray plumage, and the bright orange feathers on their faces.
The parrots in Brooklyn are known for their large, communal nests, which can weigh up to 200 pounds and house multiple breeding pairs. These nests are made of sticks and twigs, and can sometimes cause damage to utility poles and buildings.
The Brooklyn parrot population has been studied by researchers, who have found that the birds have adapted to the cold Northeastern winters by huddling together in their nests for warmth. They also eat a varied diet that includes berries, fruit, and seeds.
The parrots have become a popular attraction for tourists and birdwatchers in Brooklyn. There are even guided tours available to see the parrots and learn about their history in the area.
While the parrots are generally seen as a positive addition to the Brooklyn wildlife scene, there have been some concerns about their impact on native bird populations. However, studies have found that the parrots do not appear to be causing significant harm to other species, and may even provide benefits to the ecosystem by spreading seeds and helping to control insect populations.
Overall, the wild parrots of Brooklyn are a unique and interesting part of the city’s wildlife, and are loved by many residents and visitors alike.
<resume content from regular old-fashioned deeply flawed human>
I’m a mass transit buff so of course I had to watch this new video.
I wasn’t prepared, however, for what I saw about a minute and a half into the video — a wild Quaker Parrot — or, rather, a depiction of a wild Quaker Parrot on a large glass window at one of the new stations featured in the video. Look closely at the right pane!
Green body. Blue flight feathers. That strange 11-tail feather cluster. Yup — that’s our Brooklyn Parrot! (Of course, I don’t want to be provincial. It’s a Long Island Parrot if that’s how you want to think about things. In fact, one could argue that the parrots resided on Long Island before they moved to Brooklyn, at least in respect to the first bona fide sightings of them by John Bull were recorded there, not in Kings County).
Lots of other birds are featured on the window, including our much-derided pigeons, what appears to be a sparrow, a duck, and two indigenous songbirds. But it’s the parrot that stands out for me — one more sign that our wild parrots are finally getting a dollop of institutional support.
Invasive Species? Fuhgeddaboudit!
Good going, MTA — You’ve Got Parrot!
BTW I have no idea at which MTA/LIRR station this depiction of the Quaker occurs (other than it must be at one of the renovated stations along the new 3rd track). If you happen to know, please send an e-mail!
As you likely know, Green-Wood Cemetery is my first choice for birding in Brooklyn. It’s the best place to see our remarkable wild parrots in action, and it’s also a place where one is likely to be surprised by experiences bordering on the mystical.
Case in point: this red-tailed hawk, which, this past Wednesday, implacably perched on the impressive memorial obelisk of Emmett and Catharine Pell for more than a half hour in the early afternoon.
I’ve done my share of hawk-watching and have never gotten so close to one.
A mockingbird was clearly disturbed by the presence of the hawk.
Mockingbirds are tough and won’t let the hawk’s size advantage intimidate them. The hawk ignored the harassment and would not be moved.
Feather-maintenance was undertaken.
Note the carving on the obelisk: a pair of soaring wings. Coincidence?
With no prompting from any discernible cause, the hawk flew off to the north, in the general direction of pigeon flocks operating in the vicinity of Park Slope.
I can’t at this point say whether the hawk will return to this same location, especially given the unwelcome reception he was given by the mockingbird.
But it’s worth a try and is only a 3-minute walk from the main gate.
To get to the Emmett and Catharine Pell memorial, walk up Sycamore Avenue until it meets Arbor and Bay Road Avenues – that’s just to the west of the Dewitt Clinton monument, which is visible from this location. Remember, you’ll be on an active road frequented by the Trolley and by motorized visitors, so stick to the road edges.
With the hawk gone, the parrots at the main gate resume their continual chatter and daytime activities.
The parrots seem to respect the hawks’ domain. They generally avoid the higher ground in the interior of the cemetery and are rarely seen in the interior (although they will travel through the NE corner near Battle Hill from time to time, a place also frequented by hawks).
The parrots’ main theater of activity is along the western edge of the cemetery, especially around the entrance gate, where they enjoy proximity to a wide range of food sources: grass (their natural staple), various flowering trees, and a particular clover that grows around the stone of many horizontal grave markers.
On my way home, I noticed some anti-Starling propaganda taped to a lamp post across the street from the Cemetery.
Not sure what to make of this — is this a stunt or are these people serious?
The weather was sunny this past Sunday, so I ventured out to catch up with my favorite flock of wild parrots in Brooklyn; the brave 36 inhabiting the upper reaches of the main gate at Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery. I found much of the flock sunning themselves on the south side of the main spire. No predators were in evidence, which meant the mood of the flock was calm, with mild chortling dominating the soundscape and nary a panicked alarm. December is a good month to watch the parrots; they tend to fly together in a large defensive flock. If you decide to get out to Green-Wood this month, I’d advise you to get there about by 3:00 PM while the sun is still high enough to provide for favorable light.
I’ve been lately concerned about the viability of the Green-Wood Cemetery wild Quaker Parrot flock in light of the recent appearance of three kestrels who’ve behaved very aggressively toward the parrots in the past several months. (The kestrels are by no means the only active avian predators at Green-Wood ; several red-tailed hawks live there as well and are often seen at the main gate, which is situated near the western edge of the cemetery.)
Today I made a visit to the Cemetery in an attempt to assess the size of the flock. My fear was that it had been greatly reduced by all the recent predator activity.
I was not at all optimistic when I arrived shortly after 2:30 PM, especially after spying a large red-tailed hawk that had perched in a big tree about 50 feet from the main spire where the parrots’ main nest complex is located. The hawk, the sky, the tree, the world — all were silent. Some may have found this silence peaceful but I found it ominous.
I was just about to leave but then heard multitudinous squawks emanating from a group of about 9 parrots arriving from the northwest, settling into the tree just above the hawk. Oddly, the parrots did not demonstrate any nervousness toward the hawk; in fact they spent their time calmly grooming/preening each other. (Who was it that said that “guts is grace under pressure?”)
A few minutes later, a much larger group of parrots arrived from the northeast, filling the sky with a chorus of squawks and screeching. This screeching continued as the parrots settled into the tree above the hawk. The cacophony was loud enough to draw the attention of several human by passers far below who looked up with bemused concern.
Suddenly, the hawk took off, clearly bugged by the noise level. So did the parrots, circling high above the gate and sounding what to my ears could only indicate a chorus of victory. The hawk made his way to the north part of the cemetery, where a large group of pigeons had previously been sighted.
This brief aerial drama enabled me to capture in a single frame what is most likely the entire Green-Wood Cemetery wild parrot flock. As you can see, there are 36 parrots in flight together (the leading (rightmost) bird is a starling, not a parrot, which led me to initially believe there were 37).
I think that this is a good healthy count — more parrots then I’ve seen in any prior visit in the past two years and probably enough to ensure the flock’s viability in the future (Quakers do best in the wild over the long term when a large flock is in place, although there have been cases when a smaller number of birds can generate self-sustaining flocks).
I don’t know exactly how they’re doing it, but they’re surviving, even in the face of so much new opposition from avian predators, and that’s good news in my book.
