Flock of wild parrots

[kareninthesun]

I live close to the border of Mexico. Sometimes illegal traffickers dump drugged birds (to keep them quiet) and smuggle them into the states. If they fear getting caught, they release them. Yesterday a saw a small group (three) of what I knew were parrots. (I have one) only these had red stomaches. Then today, I counted 14 doing fly overs staying within a block, then back to the neighbors tree. Never seeing ones like them, tried to but couldn't get pics. Googled them and the only species that comes close to describing them are the red bellied parrots, indigedous to south Africa. I'm hoping a breeder raised all them somewhere in Mexico. If not, they may have been smuggled from their original homebase. Would this cause any health problems for any neighborhood animals? How about my chickens? Parrots are darned clever, love them, and it is an absolute joy to watch them, but should I be doing something to help them? We are very close ti the zoo.

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

If they were captive raised and dumped, they probably don't know how to survive on their own. I would at least contact animal control and see what they have to say about them...

 

[Tripp16]

Quote:
x2 I love parrots also!

 

[Time-Out]

I doubt there's anything you could do. They'll breed and propagate unfettered.

Someone released a pair of ring-necked parakeets in the south of England in the 70s or 80s and now they're overrun. You're even allowed to shoot them, they've become such an invasive pest. No-one believes we have parrots on our cold, wet little island lol

 

[stone_family3]

I'd contact animal control or possibly the zoo. I hope if they were dumped they were at least wild to begin with so they can survive.

 

[Stacykins]

There are established populations of feral parrots all over the United States. Ones that have existed and been breeding for years. This is nothing new. Heck, there is a colony of feral quaker parrots in Chicago. They can survive the winter because they build huge colony nests that provide enough warmth, and find enough food with all the trash and handouts.

 

[galanie]

But to answer one of the original questions, they wouldn't be any more a disease vector than a wild bird would. Remember, wild birds migrate up from Mexico too. And back.

 

[NanaLantana]

We have loads of Quaker parrots. They never land near my chickens, just fly over like all the other wild birds! They're quite able to take care of themselves, thank you very much!!

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Nobody is saying that "wild" parrots can't take care of themselves. The OP said that these birds just showed up out of the blue, and we are assuming at this point they were smuggled over the border and then dumped. Captive born parrots that are suddenly released into the wild may or may not be able to take care of themselves, that is what we are saying.

 

[RHRanch]

There have been several colonies of parrots here in SD. The weather is mild, so they have a good chance of surviving. I used to live in Escondido about 25 -30 yrs ago, a bird smuggler would let birds go because of a raid. The result was a large flock of macaws and cockatoos. I don't know if they are still around, but they lived pretty well for many years.

BTW I just googled it - Yes, the parrot colony still exists in Escondido. Wow - and to think they have been there since i was a child.