Recounting the demise of the Carolina parakeet
Some time back, I wrote about the demise of the passenger pigeon. At one time, they exceeded 5 billion. At the turn of the century, they were totally eradicated and have been extinct for more than 80 years.
I came across some information about a week ago about another bird that was once so plentiful that it, too, was considered a nuisance. In fact, this bird literally destroyed grain crops.
This bird was called the Carolina parakeet and it was the only parrot native to North America, the now extinct Carolina parakeet was a grackle-sized gregarious bird, mostly green with a yellow head and orange cheeks.
It inhabited forests and forest edges in the Eastern United States as far north as the Great Lakes region, as well as wooded river bottoms of the Great Plains and as far west as Nebraska. It nested in tree cavities and ate the fruits and seeds of many tree and other plants, such as thistles and cockleburs.
It was a member of the conjure family. Their bodies were bright green, with a yellow head splashed with brilliant orange. From head to tail, they were about twelve inches long. Their beaks were sharp and quite strong for their size, apparently for opening tough- shelled seeds such as the cocklebur. Their eggs were light greenish white in color.
Many females laid their eggs together, with each laying two or three. Parakeets would occasionally breed in captivity, but seldom with much success. During a period of about 90 years, the parakeets gradually disappeared. When cockleburs were not available, these birds would flock to farmers’ orchards and fields, rapidly destroying the precious crops.
Farmers could easily retaliate: when one member of the flock was shot, the others would fly around over their fallen companion instead of leaving for safety.
In this manner, the entire flock could easily be destroyed.
These birds were also collected for their colorful feathers and because the young birds were considered good to eat. It is speculated that habitat destruction may have also contributed to their decline. By the 1890s, the parakeets were quite uncommon, and collectors eagerly caught the few remaining birds to sell them to zoos.
The death of the last Carolina parakeet is often incorrectly quoted as occurring in September 1914.
Through careful research, it was discovered that the last known pair of parakeets were called Incas and Lady Jane. They lived in the Cincinnati Zoo for some 35 years. They died and became extinct by the early ’20s.
It has always been amazing to me that something that once was so many that it became a problem can be totally eradicated. It looks like that someone would have stepped in and put a stop to the slaughter. You have to admit that it would be very entertaining to have some wild colorful parakeets visiting your bird feeders along with the finches.
Incidentally, the Purple Finches that often visit our bird feeders are not native. They were accidentally released as pets and have done quite well in our environment.