Wild Mitred Conure Parrots of Seattle

Someone caught a great photo of one of Seattle's wild Mitred Conure parrots in the area of 175th and 18th in Shoreline, just north of Seattle, today and reported it as a lost Amazon parrot. The wild mitred conures migrate out of Seward Park late in the fall to overwinter in Shoreline:

Not only have the mitred conures survived here in Seattle since possibly the 1970s, there are two confirmed independent flocks. One based in Lake Washington's Seward Park. And a second based in Golden Gardens in northwest Seattle. Both flocks are estimated to number twenty to thirty individuals.

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

Sheltering From a Storm

Two Conure parrots sheltering from Hurricane Irma at the edge of the 22nd floor of the Dadeland Marriott in Miami

Scum of the Earth

The following story, in its entirety, appeared on the San Diego Community Newspaper Group website, sdnews.com, April 12, 2016:

A wild parrot in an Ocean Beach tree. The San Diego Department of Animal Services has said it is actively investigating the ongoing series of OB parrot killings.
Anyone with information in the case is urged to call (619) 692-4800.

Photo by Patty Sammuli

'Coward' continues killing parrots in Ocean Beach

by Dave Schwab

Scattered reports continue of wild parrots being shot to death by pellets by an unknown assailant in Ocean Beach.

Meanwhile, People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) continues to offer a monetary reward for anyone with information leading to the arrest of the perpetrator(s).

The nonprofit animal welfare group talked about the “psychology” of whoever the culprit(s) might be, while discussing what that means for the beach community.

“Even if someone doesn't necessarily consider themselves to be an animal lover, I think everyone is concerned for the (Ocean Beach) community,” said Dan Carron, PETA's outreach coordinator, in the wake of the more than five birds killed during the past several weeks in the OB area.

Carron offered this caveat about whoever is responsible for the recent bird slayings.

“People who abuse animals rarely do so only once,” he said. “And a lot of them often go on to abuse more animals – and people in some instances. It's a great threat for everybody, and should be viewed as a community concern.”

Reports on exactly how many birds have been felled varies, though Carron noted, “We keep getting multiple reports, different numbers, but it's absolutely more than a handful now, half a dozen, around there.”

Carron added PETA continues to offer a $5,000 reward for information leading to whoever is responsible “being nabbed.”

Speculation abounds that the parrot killer(s) are most likely juveniles living in the beach area. But that is uncertain.

“The one thing we know for sure is that, whoever is doing this, is a coward,” Carron said. “It's the act of a bully who's taking out their personal issues and frustrations on defenseless birds, parrots.”

Carron pointed out all of the slain birds did not die quickly – or painlessly.

“In some cases, they're not dying right away,” he said. “Some of the parrots have suffered greatly before they died. One even died after it was taken in and given surgery.”

The San Diego Department of Animal Services has said it is actively investigating the ongoing series of OB parrot killings. Anyone with information in the case is urged to call (619) 692-4800.

Wild parrots survive on seeds, fruit and nectar from tropical trees and shrubs planted in urban and residential areas in communities like Ocean Beach, Point Loma, Pacific Beach and La Jolla.

Parrots do not migrate, but stay in San Diego year-round. They have established communal roosts around the county that they return to each night. During the day, the birds will fly out to a variety of food sources, depending on the time of year.

Not native to Southern California, the exact origin of the squawky, commonplace wild parrots widely seen throughout San Diego is a matter of conjecture.

Some speculate the parrot population may have been contributed to by birds that escaped from the San Diego Zoo during its early days. Another theory is that parrots native to northern Mexico originally came to California in search of a suitable habitat as areas of Mexico became deforested.

However they got here, exotic wild parrots have established themselves as a colorful addition to more than 500 species of birds found throughout San Diego County.

Wild Mitred Conure Parrots of Seattle's Seward Park

This article, Peru Natives Make Annual Trip to Seward Park, by Katie McVicker, was published in its entirety by Seattle Parks and Recreation, March 25, 2014:

Mitred conure on a cherry blossom tree in Seward Park.

Photo by Denise Takahashi.

Mitred Conures, or green parrots, are native to the Andes in South America, but every spring a flock shows up in Seward Park. Joey Manson, the Operations Manager at Seward Park Audubon Center, said no one on staff is clear on the birds’ history, but there is a theory that the parrots are released or escaped house pets from Ballard. Friends of Seward Park Board President Paul Talbert said people have claimed to see the birds in the park since the 1970s. He said the flock has ranged from a high of 16 members to a low of three. This year’s number hasn’t been determined, but Manson said people have been hearing the birds chattering overhead for a few weeks.

In earlier years, the flock used to spend its winters in the Maple Leaf neighborhood, but hasn’t been spotted there recently. The parrots had a nest in a hole in a Douglas fir near one of the picnic shelters, but Talbert said the nest was taken over by bees. Local residents have reported that the birds frequently raid their growing sunflowers and bird feeders.

If you want to catch a glimpse of the parrots, Talbert said sightings are most likely to occur around picnic shelter #3 or near flowering trees, and the best way to find the parrots is to listen: although the birds fly high, they are very loud.

To update this story we are happy to report several sightings of the Seward Park parrots during the course of this past winter. They have been confirmed in Shoreline's Ridgecrest neighborhood, just north of Seattle, as well as Seattle's Laurelhurst neighborhood within the past couple of weeks. With Seattle experiencing an early spring we can expect their return to Seward Park in the not too distant future.

Dare To Be Different

Help Houdini Escape to a New Home

Houdini is an unconfirmed female Nanday Conure parrot, currently living in Littlerock, Washington, south of the state capitol of Olympia. Her current parront has cared for her since September 2009. His former girlfriend moved to Alaska and left the parrot in his care but never returned for her. She had Houdini for two or three years, and prior to that, her son had the bird in Florida for a year or two. So Houdini is believed to be at least nine or ten years old. Houdini is friendly towards both women and men. About two years ago, Houdini plucked her feathers overnight and has kept them plucked ever since. She seems to be OK with that, but of course, to the lay observer, it appears unkempt (also in molt in the photograph). Houdini does not have a vocabulary but sometimes mumbles. She spends a considerable amount of time out of her cage. When she starts taking flight, her parront trims her feathers. Houdini is said to be a relatively quiet bird, especially by conure parrot standards.

Houdini comes with her cage and toys and is Free to the Right Home. If you are interested in adopting Houdini please contact Northwest Parrots Fund, a 501(c)3 nonprofit charity registered in the State of Washington.

Peach Front Conure Parrot Named Edgar Needs New Seattle Area Home

Edgar is an unsexed Peach front Conure parrot of unknown age currently living in Seattle in a home with a Senegal parrot and a couple of children. He would prefer to be in a home without children. Children make Edgar very anxious.

According to Edgar's parront:

Edgar is a Peach front Conure who has been with me since 1999. I adopted him and don’t know how old he was when he came to me but guess that he was no older than 2. He hasn’t been sexed, so he could be a she. He lives in a house with a Senegal parrot in a separate cage, two adults and two small children. He is very social and loves attention from anybody, but is also a bit fidgety and aggressive towards new people or small children. Experienced bird handlers (our boarder and vet) have no problem with him and always comment on how friendly and funny he is. He is very active, loves to climb, hang and burrow. He won’t perch for very long on your shoulder before exploring and trying to climb inside your clothes. His wings are currently not clipped but he prefers to climb or walk everywhere. He will climb down a cage, walk across the floor and climb up another one instead of fly. So his wings could be clipped without issue. He says “Hello” and “Up” and mimics laughter.  He has always enjoyed a love / hate relationship with our other parrot. They love to chat as long as there is distance between them. Edgar loves to rub up against your open hand but is difficult to preen because he’s so fidgety. I think constant handling will help cure that. I’m the only one in our house that handles him and am gone most of the day, so my hope is to find him a home where he receives the attention and enrichment that he deserves on a more consistent basis.

Edgar is Free to the Right Home. If you are interested in adopting Edgar please read the Northwest Parrots Fund Adoption Procedures page and contact Northwest Parrots Fund.