BOTW 10/4-10/8
Wait, this bird lives in the US?
Hello!
Some subscribers request that I do tropical/exotic birds, while others insist that I should be focusing my efforts on species that can be seen in backyards in the US. So this week, I decided to split the difference!
This week’s bird is the: Nanday Parakeet
1) The Nanday Parakeet is native to Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina, but can also be found in Southern California and Florida.
2) Why this disjointed range? You guessed it: people brought them here and released them, and now they are thriving. These US groups are considered “feral” populations.
3) This parakeet is fairly large, with a black head and red “ankles.” It makes a sound probably most similar for readers to a squawking jay.
4) Want to buy this bird? (You probably shouldn’t btw) It’ll run you about 600 bucks. Think little barky dogs are annoying? Try having this as a pet.
5) The biggest threat to these birds is actually the illegal pet trade. It’s not something we think about (or that I have talked about in the newsletter), but it’s a big problem for some of the world’s most beautiful tropical birds. Luckily, this bird is doing well all things considered!
Have a great week!