Jenny Dickson, DEP (Photo by Samantha Henry)
By Kendra Richardson & Mary Powers
Connecticut is home to a wide range of wildlife, even parrots native to South America.
Jennifer Dickson, supervising wildlife biologist for the Department of Environmental Protection, says that Connecticut actually has a much more diverse set of wildlife than many residents think. One of the most out-of-place animals Connecticut has is the monk parakeet, a large green parrot found mostly in low lands east of the Andes, like Bolivia and Paraguay.
These parrots, deemed an “invader” by biologists, were introduced into America mostly in the 1960’s by the United States exotic pet industry, according to Dickson. They are most frequently spotted in New Haven extending down to Greenwich. The birds build their nests mostly in electrical poles and light structures but sometimes in trees.
Although these large beautiful parrots are a treat for some people, they pose frustrations for many others. Monk parakeets are communal roosters, meaning groups of mates nest side by side at the same time. These nests can weigh hundreds of pounds, and become very heavy.
Utility companies complain about the birds and have tried to remove the nests, Dickson said.. The problem is that this tends to only increase the number of nests as they find new sites.
Residents of southern Connecticut have also complained about bird’s nests clogging chimneys, breaking branches and how loud and messy they are. Dickson said the birds are also aggressive with other animals when eating at bird feeders. Many people love these birds though.
“With this specific species, it is completely polarized- people either love them or they don’t,” said Dickson.
Those who love them are usually the ones that don’t have them nesting in their back yard or along their light source.
For now, these birds do not seem to be going anywhere. The DEP has been working to find a balance between keeping residents and utility workers happy, along with the birds comfortable here in Connecticut.
Instead of a photo of Dickson, this blog should have included a photo of the Monk/Quaker parakeet. Then everyone, including the author would be able to see that Monks (more often called Quakers) are not "large" parrots, but are only slightly bigger than a cockatiel and no bigger than a wild dove. Also, Connecticut is not so special because the Quakers are quite at home in FL, TX, NJ, NY and Chicago. The blogger should do a little more research about them rather than rely solely on Dickson as a source. There is actually a Quaker Parakeet Society in this country whose members know a lot more about the birds than Dickson.
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