The tale of their origins begins in the late 1960s when a crate, in transit from South America to points unknown, was opened at JFK airport. Depending on the person telling the story, you might hear that the crate was damaged in an unexplained, unspecified accident, or that a ring of thieves, working inside the airport, forced it open. Either way, the story ends on a dramatic note, with the cargo of little green parrots escaping and rapidly flying away.
The fact is, though, the fugitive flock didn’t get very far. As they soared in the skies above Brooklyn, the birds known as Quaker parrots (or monk parrots) looked down, liked what they saw, and landed. With easy access to food, shelter, and water, the feathered immigrants found a new home and flourished.
Today, the birds have set up small colonies in other parts of the Northeast, but live primarily in two locations near the center of the borough: Brooklyn College and Green-Wood Cemetery, where their nests safely rest atop the enormous, Gothic gate.
If you’d like to visit them, join Brooklyn parrot expert Steve Baldwin on one of his Brooklyn Wild Parrot Safaris.
Hanging with other Brooklyn “boids”
On the sidewalk near Brooklyn College
Perched on a fence at Brooklyn College
The birds blend in with the leaves
The neighbors have a great view
On the fence around Brooklyn College
Nests on the gate at Green-Wood Cemetery
Birds at Green-Wood Cemetery
Atop the gate at Green-Wood Cemetery
Pretty bird!
BrooklynParrots.com: A Web Site About the Wild Parrots of Brooklyn
Gowanus Lounge: Brooklyn Parrot Poaching
Monk Parakeets
at Brooklyn College: Invaders from the South?
Blather From Brooklyn 
la première photo est vraiment géniale, j’adore. Surprenant cette colonie de perroquet.
The first photo is really great, I love. Surprenant this parrot colony.
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Hi Annulla! Back home and profiting from the holidays, I’m trying to catch up your posts (What a nice week: June 10th, Portugal’s Day; June 13th, Lisbon’s Day – St. Anthony of Lisbon, not Padua… ;)).
It seems that green took control of this blog: parrots, smoker… 😉
Thanks for your comments at Blogtrotter, which is now landed in Santiago de Compostela, Spain! Hope you enjoy, and have a nice weekend!
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These are similar to the parrots of Telegraph Hill in San Francisco. There’s even a book written about them that became a best seller. I love this perky, noisy little guys.
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My friend did the Greenwood Cemetery tour last month and told me about the birds.
Cool photos. They are beautiful birds. I love the colors on them
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thanks dude for ur visit!
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