City Parrots

MiamiHerald.com By Georgia Tasker

North America’s only native parrot, the Carolina parakeet, once flew freely in the eastern United States but was declared extinct in 1939, more than 20 years after the last one died in the Cincinnati Zoo. So parrots, technically, had a place here once.

Those now appearing are exotics, able to survive on our exotic fruits and flowers. Parrots are often accused of displacing our native birds. But, says Susan Epps, author of Parrots of South Florida, the native birds are threatened by habitat loss, not by the parrots.

To attract parrots, naturalist Bill Pranty says, ``Plant a lot of flowering plants or palms or put out feeders with bird seeds. They nest in cavities, but a few can nest in bird boxes.

``Not cutting down dead palms is one way of attracting them.’’

Their food sources include palm nuts (even small coconuts), bischofia seeds, mangoes, sea grapes, live oaks, weeping fig, black olive, gumbo limbo and strangler fig.

‘’When they’re not intentionally making noise, you can have a tree full of [green parrots] and not know it,’’ Pranty says. ``Suddenly, 40 birds come out of a tree and you didn’t know they were there.’’

From the Tropical Audubon Society website where to find good parrot-watching spots in South Florida:

Parrots

Over 75 species of parrots have been introduced to Florida; of these, at least 20 species are now breeding in the state. Only four are currently ABA-countable in Florida; of these, only two are countable in the Miami area:

Monk Parakeet

Monk Parakeet: While parrots introduced to Florida typically nest in tree cavities, Monk Parakeets are the only species that builds communal stick nests. These large, bulky nests can be found throughout suburban southeast Florida, sometimes in trees but also on power poles and other man-made structures. Reliable locations in Miami-Dade include Miami Shores, Miami Springs (around the Fair Haven Nursing Home), Key Biscayne, Baptist Hospital and Kendall Indian Hammocks, A D Barnes and Matheson Hammock Parks. The parakeets are often found around shopping centers along SW 88 Street (Kendall Drive); stick nests are conspicuous on power poles where North Kendall Drive crosses SW 127 Avenue.

White-winged Parakeet

Canary-winged Parakeet has been split into Yellow-chevroned Parakeet (Brotogeris chiriri) and White-winged Parakeet (Brotogeris versicolurus). Currently, only the White-winged Parakeet is ABA-countable. White-winged and Yellow-chevroned Parakeets are widespread in the Miami area and may be seen almost anywhere. White-winged Parakeets are more common in Broward and the Miami Shores area of north Miami-Dade, while Yellow-chevroned is dominant in Miami Springs, Coral Gables, Kendall and South Miami. Both species have been seen at Baptist Hospital; look in trees around the ponds at the front of the hospital. Other locations include A D Barnes and Matheson Hammock Parks.

Two parrots are countable elsewhere in Florida:

Black-hooded Parakeet: While Black-hooded Parakeets can be found in southeast Florida (Biscayne Gardens, Miami Shores and the Metrozoo area are reliable locations), the only countable Black-hooded Parakeets can be found in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area.

Budgerigar: The only locations in Florida where countable Budgerigars may be found are in Pasco and Hernando Counties, north of Tampa.

The following areas in Miami-Dade can be good for finding a variety of parrots:

Biscayne Gardens: the neighborhoods east of I-95, between NW 151 Street and NW 135 Street, especially along South Biscayne River Drive. Monk, White-winged, Yellow-chevroned, Black-hooded, Blue-crowned, Green, Mitred, Red-masked, Crimson-fronted and White-eyed Parakeets; Chestnut-fronted Macaw; White-fronted, Orange-winged and Red-crowned Parrots.

Miami Shores: the neighborhoods east of I-95, between NE 103 Street and NE 95 Street, east to Miami Shores Country Club. Monk, White-winged, Yellow-chevroned, Black-hooded, Blue-crowned, Green, Mitred, Red-masked, Crimson-fronted and White-eyed Parakeets; Chestnut-fronted Macaw; White-fronted, Orange-winged and Red-crowned Parrots.

Miami Beach: the neighborhoods around Muss Park (on Chase Road) and Pine Tree Park (on Pine Tree Road); both parks are just north of Arthur Godfrey Road (accessed from the mainland via I-195/Julia Tuttle Causeway). Monk, Blue-crowned, Green and Mitred Parakeets, Chestnut-fronted Macaw, Scaly-headed Parrot.

Miami Springs: the neighborhood around Fair Haven Nursing Home on Curtiss Parkway, as well as the neighborhood around the intersection of Wren Avenue and Apache Street. Monk, Yellow-chevroned, Blue-crowned, Green, Mitred, Scarlet-fronted, Red-masked, Crimson-fronted, White-eyed and Dusky-headed Parakeets; Blue-fronted, Orange-winged, Red-crowned and Yellow-crowned Parrots.

Key Biscayne: neighborhoods in the village of Key Biscayne, plus Crandon Park, Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. Monk and Green Parakeets.

South Miami: the neighborhoods between SW 56 Street (Miller Drive), SW 72 Street (Sunset Drive), SW 67 Avenue (Ludlam Road), and SW 57 Avenue (Red Road). Monk, White-winged, Yellow-chevroned, Mitred and Red-masked Parakeets, Blue-and-yellow and Chestnut-fronted Macaws, White-fronted, Blue-fronted, Orange-winged, Rd-crowned, Lilac-crowned, Yellow-crowned, Yellow-headed and Mealy Parrots.

A D Barnes Park: entrance is on SW 72 Avenue, north of SW 40 Street (Bird Road). Monk, White-winged, Yellow-chevroned and Mitred Parakeets, Blue-and-yellow and Chestnut-fronted Macaws, Orange-winged Parrot.

Baptist Hospital area: the neighborhoods between US 1 (South Dixie Highway) and SR 874 (Don Shula Expessway), SR 878 (Snapper Creek Expressway) and SW 88 Street (North Kendall Drive). Monk, White-winged, Yellow-chevroned and Mitred Parakeets.

Kendall Indian Hammocks Park: entrance is on SW 107 Avenue, north of SW 88 Street (North Kendall Drive). Monk Parakeets.

Matheson Hammock Park: entrance is on Old Cutler Road, south of SW 88 Street (North Kendall Drive). Monk, White-winged, Yellow-chevroned and Red-masked Parakeets, Blue-and-yellow Macaw,Lilac-crowned Parakeet.

Metrozoo/Larry and Penny Thompson Park: west of Florida’s Turnpike; the entrance to Metrozoo is on SW 152 Street (Coral Reef Drive), the entrance to Larry and Penny Thompson Park is on SW 184 Street (Eureka Drive). Monk and Black-hooded Parakeets.

The most reliable way to locate parrots in residential neighborhoods is by driving side streets with the windows down, listening for squawking. Early morning and late afternoon are most productive. As always when birding in urban areas, common sense is essential. Avoid birding alone. Lock car doors and secure valuables out of sight. Do not trespass on private property.