Topic: Wild Parrots of Brooklyn, NY

[nichi]

Now you folks from Australia and South Africa will probably not be impressed ... but in North America, such renegade, 'tropical' birds are not par-for-the-course.  This website gives a nice coverage, and I always love seeing urban dwellers carry on an excitement and protectiveness over any wildlife...
So geaux monk parrots!   

The Wild Parrots of Brooklyn, NY

[nichi]

Apparently, they are quite endangered from humans.
It is theorized that they are escapees from a shipment from Argentina, back in the 70's. Argentina, before taking to shipping them to the us for sale, was in the process of exterminating their own population of them.
Some states, like Florida, Connecticut, and New Jersey, to name a few, have a policy to shoot/euthanize them. This is because of their alleged danger to crops and electrical companies' equipment. (You can see a picture on the above page of them nest-building near a transformer.)

So... they are lucky in Brooklyn.

May their luck continue!

[nichi]

They are what I call warning-birds: they sound the warning, like jays do.
 

THIS IS NOT A DRILL!

I'm in love.


These pics are from his site.

[nichi]

Oh yes, they are going to always be in trouble!

[Jennifer-]

They are lovely!

[Jahn]

Did like this one.



Not for the sake that the crows attack them but for the impossible way of building a nest.

"Most bothersome are the crows, which show up in gangs in the morning, and attempt to break into the Quaker Parrots nests (to eat the eggs). The parrots attempt to thwart this threat by deliberately concealing the eggs in convoluted passageways within the nest."

[nichi]

Those nests on that spired gate were amazing indeed!   
They are quite the builders!

[nichi]

I've become fascinated with this fellow. Have spent several hours on his site, and am marvelling at all the creativity his love for these birds has spawned.  And if you go through his pages, his love for the birds is so clear... I can relate especially to his story on The March ... I allow for anthropomorphizing... But to make such projection is not such a stretch, especially if one is spending a lot of time watching/hanging out with a certain group of critters. Not to mention, these parrots are very expressive!   And funny! 

He has a book, some partnership with a movie, and much liaisoning afoot with different rescue societies and movements across the country to stop exterminating the birds.
Bravo Steve Baldwin!

For me personally, it shows that when you follow your passion, spirit obliges...

[Jahn]

"After marching about 10 yards, the lead parrot seems to realize that this journey might be more hazardous than initially supposed, thanks to the appearance of a large minivan entering the cemetery. He halts the procession."


"Note: nothing in this short photo-essay is meant to suggest that these parrots are wimps. In fact, as you'll see soon, these parrots think nothing of confronting their enemies, even tough falcons, kestrels and crows, head-on. Even so, they draw the line when it comes to minivans." 

[nichi]

That picture makes me laugh!!!!  

[Michael]

So I see Tusko, who died from a gun-shot of LSD, 3,000 times a human dose, in a scienrtific experiment in Lincoln Park Zoo, Oklahoma city - and written up in the US journal Science, is no longer your avatar Vicki.

poor old Tusko.
another scientific notch on their gun.

[erik]

So I see Tusko, who died from a gun-shot of LSD, 3,000 times a human dose

Humans have survived 1,500 times the normal human dose of acid...that's why acid is so safe to use, they say...

[nichi]

So I see Tusko, who died from a gun-shot of LSD, 3,000 times a human dose, in a scienrtific experiment in Lincoln Park Zoo, Oklahoma city - and written up in the US journal Science, is no longer your avatar Vicki.

poor old Tusko.
another scientific notch on their gun.

What??

Had I known that the elephant was identifiable in any way, other than being an asian elephant -- had I known that he was a zoo animal, much less that he was being experimented upon, I assure you, I would have taken no joy in wearing his eye for my avatar. In other words, I didn't know.

[Michael]

I assure you, I would have taken no joy in wearing his eye for my avatar.

why not? he was a beautiful animal, why not wear his eye?

i think it was quite wise of you - the interplay between us humans and 'wild' beings is what we as humans have most to learn.

Tusko was looking at us, as do the parrots - "when are you going to kill me too?"
that is the question we have to hear from them. before it is too late.

i tried to save a sheep a two days ago - we were walking and i saw one of the maremmas dragging one of their new sheep (their last one had died, so they escaped and came around our house as they like us, and i think they most likely killed a baby kangaroo that had been feeding around our house... so they gave them a new bunch of sheep to look after). i raced down and saved the sheep - i expect she was only trying to drag it back to the others as a protective act. anyway, its leg was bleeding, with what i suspected was a flesh wound, so i let it out of the pen.

couldn't find the workers, and this morning we came upon it in the paddock, with it's throat torn out. we don't know what could have done that, and i can't see why a bloody leg would have caused that. julie said we should have brought it back to the house and bathed its leg - maybe.

i feel it's time was up, but also i look at all these 'wild' beings and hear them say, "when are you going to kill me?"

i feel Tusko's eye was a precious and poignant statement - we should honour him.

[nichi]

i feel it's time was up, but also i look at all these 'wild' beings and hear them say, "when are you going to kill me?"

I have cleaned up, buried, and otherwise disposed of animals who've been killed --- and some, yes, by human hands. They know of this possibility of death and murder ... and yet...

"When are you going to kill me?" is not what is foremost to my ear when I hear them. They have an amazing grace, which seeks joy and exuberance, in the face of these tremendous odds against them.   They live their life, up until 'that' moment.

One of the reasons I have been so struck with these parrots is because it is so apparent that they have a playful nature -- they play and they cuddle and build and holler and hoop. And they do that, in the face of "shooting squads" against them, and the definite intent on the part of many to exterminate them. So I don't hear, "When are you going to kill me?" Though surely they have that dark awareness.

I hear, "What are we going to do today?" "Let's go for it, all of it" -- until that raptor or human jogger comes around.   And even then, we'll do our best.

I'm sorry to hear of your sheep .... You all definitely get your share there, M.