New York Quaker Parrots

By Terri Estes

The Quaker parrot, also known as the monk parrot, is a non-migratory bird native to temperate and subtropical areas of Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. However, large colonies of these birds can also be found in Brooklyn, Queens and Nassau County.

There are many opinions as to how this wild bird came to settle here, but it can safely be said that they did not fly up here from South America on their own. It is believed that a crate of Quaker parrots destined for pet shops broke open at JFK in the late 1960s, and the rest is history. You would think that the first cold winter in New York would be the demise of the poor displaced parrots. Well, quite the contrary. These resourceful little birds have acclimated beautifully to our climate, and their population has grown tremendously over the past 50 years. They are tough and resourceful, so naturally they would fit right into the New York City way of life.

The Quaker parrot is a medium sized bird that is usually grey and green in color.

These birds are very social and can mimic lots of sounds, including human voices. They have a diverse diet and eat grass blades, berries, seeds, ornamental fruits like crab apples, as well as insects. In captivity, they can live for up to 30 years, but in the wild they average five to six years.

Quakers are known for building extremely large communal nests, often in tall trees, on bridges and utility poles. PSE&G considers these nests a nuisance and will occasionally remove them for safety reasons.

The largest colonies of quakers can be found on the south shore of Nassau County in North Woodmere, Merrick and Wantagh. Greenwood cemetery in Brooklyn has a fairly large colony, and you can also spot them in Howard Beach, Whitestone, Ozone Park and, yes, occasionally in Rockaway. So keep your eyes to the sky, and let me know if spot a Quaker parrot!