Pat's Wildways: The Parrot Connections

Bucko and I recently took a trans-Atlantic cruise from Miami to Barcelona with a few stops along the way. Spain was new to us, and we happily signed up for a few-hour tour of Cartagena while we were in port there. The tour included a claustrophobic ride in a cylindrical elevator to the top of a plateau where the expanse of the historical architecture could be admired. As for me, I was more interested in the birds. And were those parrots we heard in the town square? Yes! But what are parrots doing in Spain? Bucko and I followed the birds from the top of one palm to another and finally got a close enough look to identify them. These were monk parakeets, also called Quaker parrots, native to temperate South America, in places with a climate similar to Europe. It was fun to see them.

But later in Barcelona, I learned more about these attractive little birds. These small parrots can live in huge colonies with large shared nests and can tolerate cool winters. These characteristics make them a nuisance in areas where they can decimate crops and outcompete other native bird species. In Spain, with about 80% of the feral monk parrot population, they are a real problem! They have been found to destroy more than 30% of the tomato, corn, and fruit crops in the areas where they have proliferated. Moreover, their large nests, often built on power lines, can be a hazard to pedestrians and cause damage to buildings and power grids.

So, when my otter friend and colleague Margherita Bandini toured us around the Arc de Triomf in Barcelona, we were surprised to see a man luring these parrots with food and charging people money to hold them. This practice, of course, is totally illegal. Because they are an invasive nuisance animal, they cannot legally be fed in the wild, and it is illegal to own, sell, or buy these parrots as pets. Eradication methods are planned in Spain and elsewhere in Europe, and this may involve removing nests, euthanasia, and sterilization. As you can imagine, many people enjoy watching these chatty, active, pretty birds and reject these ideas about controlling them. But for those managing crops, these little birds are evil incarnate. And in the meantime, this fellow in a city park is making his living feeding them and charming visitors. This situation is far from resolved.

How did monk parrots get to Spain and throughout Europe in the first place? Well, it’s the same way there are now feral monk parrot populations in South Florida as well. Monk parrots make fine pets. They are vocal, can learn words; they are intelligent; they are entertaining; they are small and easier to handle than bigger parrots like macaws. But eventually, some people get tired of them and release them into the wild, where, in no time at all, they can develop a colony.

Well there is one individual monk parrot that I know will never be released to the wild. Meet Quaker, a long-time pet of Louise Bower who I first wrote about three years ago. Louise is an amazing 105 years old now, and no longer has the energy to keep up with a needy parrot. But have no fear, Quaker is alive and well and for the past few years has been enjoying the care of Natia Booker, who owns Ops Pizza next to Beaches Diner. Every so often, Louise and her 80ish daughter Brenda go there for lunch and, with advance warning, Natia brings Quaker in a traveling cage from her home to visit them, a happy reunion for one and all.

It is said that monk parrots live 10 to 20 years in captivity, but Louise had Quaker for 15 or so years after bottle feeding it as an infant, and now Natia has had Quaker at least three years after that. Just like Louise Bowers, who is going strong at her exceptional advanced age, Quaker is still thriving too. Monk parrots in the wild rarely live over 6 years, but not so this particular monk parrot, surrounded by love and attention. Quaker and Louise are in it for the long haul — and what a wonderful thing this is!

Pat Foster-Turley, Ph.D., is a zoologist on Amelia Island. She welcomes your nature questions and observations. patandbucko@yahoo.com