Parrots and Parakeets? (1 Viewer)

[has530]

I just moved to the Burbank/NoHo area and have heard there are parrots/parakeets around! Does anyone know a good spot to go see them? I've looked around Griffith park without much luck (although I have spotted both a western screech and great horned owl!).

 

[raymie]

Parrot species established in the LA area include Red-crowned Parrot, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Mitred Parakeet, Red-masked Parakeet, Lilac-crowned Parrot, Yellow-headed Parrot, Red-lored Parrot, and Yellow-chevroned Parakeet.

 

[Sempervirens]

Parrot species established in the LA area include Red-crowned Parrot, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Mitred Parakeet, Red-masked Parakeet, Lilac-crowned Parrot, Yellow-headed Parrot, Red-lored Parrot, and Yellow-chevroned Parakeet.

I've seen large flocks of parrots in Long Beach — are any of the species native to the area or are they established from escaped pets?

 

[Jim M.]

I've seen large flocks of parrots in Long Beach — are any of the species native to the area or are they established from escaped pets?

No native parrots in California. Only two parrots native to the United States--the Carolina Parakeet (sadly now extinct) and the Thick-billed Parrot--used to be a visitor in Arizona near the Mexican border, but not recorded for decades afaik.

 

[raymie]

No native parrots in California. Only two parrots native to the United States--the Carolina Parakeet (sadly now extinct) and the Thick-billed Parrot--used to be a visitor in Arizona near the Mexican border, but not recorded for decades afaik.

Thick-billed Parrot was not just a visitor, there was actually a population.

 

[Jim M.]

Thick-billed Parrot was not just a visitor, there was actually a population.

I was using the terminology employed by David Sibley: "Formerly a very rare visitor to Arizona from montane pine forests of Mexico; now rare in Mexico, last recorded in the wild in Arizona in 1938. Reintroduction efforts in Arizona in the 1980s failed." Sibley Guide to Birds, 2d ed. If you don't like it, feel free to contact him.

 

[Los1223]

While not exactly in Burbank, I live right by Eisenhower Park in Orange, and always see Red-Crowned Parrots coming/going from the park. You can definitely see them there.

 

[Mysticete]

Parrot species established in the LA area include Red-crowned Parrot, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Mitred Parakeet, Red-masked Parakeet, Lilac-crowned Parrot, Yellow-headed Parrot, Red-lored Parrot, and Yellow-chevroned Parakeet.

Note that of these species, Red-masked Parakeet, and Yellow-headed, Lilac-crowned, and Red-lored Parrots are not countable under ABA rules as they are not considered established. Also, there is a pretty large and thriving population of Nanday Parakeets in the region as well.

 

[raymie]

Note that of these species, Red-masked Parakeet, and Yellow-headed, Lilac-crowned, and Red-lored Parrots are not countable under ABA rules as they are not considered established. Also, there is a pretty large and thriving population of Nanday Parakeets in the region as well.

I wasn't aware of the Nandays.

Those species that aren't countable meet all the requirements for being countable, they just aren't for some reason. They should be if the ABA wants their rules to be consistent.

 

[Mysticete]

I wasn't aware of the Nandays.

Those species that aren't countable meet all the requirements for being countable, they just aren't for some reason. They should be if the ABA wants their rules to be consistent.

I would say some are and some aren't. Red-masked Parakeet and possibly Lilac-crowned Parrot definitely, but looking through ebird (I have a birding trip to the LA area in January), but the counts and regularity of observation for those other species are pretty slight.

I am more interested in seeing when Pin-tailed Whydah and Swinhoe's White-eye get added. Both of those species have had explosive population growth to the point they have expanded well into San Diego County, and within their core area of Los Angeles their are some pretty impressive counts in ebird (15 white-eyes in a morning's birding in one park doesn't seem that unusual). Certainly those meet even a conservative criteria for establishment.

 

[raymie]

I would say some are and some aren't. Red-masked Parakeet and possibly Lilac-crowned Parrot definitely, but looking through ebird (I have a birding trip to the LA area in January), but the counts and regularity of observation for those other species are pretty slight.

I am more interested in seeing when Pin-tailed Whydah and Swinhoe's White-eye get added. Both of those species have had explosive population growth to the point they have expanded well into San Diego County, and within their core area of Los Angeles their are some pretty impressive counts in ebird (15 white-eyes in a morning's birding in one park doesn't seem that unusual). Certainly those meet even a conservative criteria for establishment.

I've never been to southern California but I've heard in some neighborhoods in LA the white-eye is actually the most common passerine species by some margin. Ironically it actually doesn't meet all the ABA requirements for being established, as the population has not yet been present for 15 years.

 

[Mysticete]

I've never been to southern California but I've heard in some neighborhoods in LA the white-eye is actually the most common passerine species by some margin. Ironically it actually doesn't meet all the ABA requirements for being established, as the population has not yet been present for 15 years.

Feels like the 15 year rule could be waived in cases where you have this sort of rapid population growth?

How long did it take for Eurasian collared dove to get on the list?

 

[raymie]

Feels like the 15 year rule could be waived in cases where you have this sort of rapid population growth?

How long did it take for Eurasian collared dove to get on the list?

Eurasian Collared-Dove was added to the checklist in 1994, 5 years after first arriving in Florida in 1989. So yes, there is precedent for adding such a bird. It seems even weirder then that the white-eye has not been added yet.

1994 was also the year African Collared-Dove was removed from the checklist, perhaps prematurely given that they are still found in parts of Colorado and Wyoming.

 

[Mysticete]

Eurasian Collared-Dove was added to the checklist in 1994, 5 years after first arriving in Florida in 1989. So yes, there is precedent for adding such a bird. It seems even weirder then that the white-eye has not been added yet.

1994 was also the year African Collared-Dove was removed from the checklist, perhaps prematurely given that they are still found in parts of Colorado and Wyoming.

They are? I only ever saw Eurasian Collared-Dove there. Only place I ever saw African Collared-Dove was in Brawley, Southern California.

 

[raymie]

They are? I only ever saw Eurasian Collared-Dove there. Only place I ever saw African Collared-Dove was in Brawley, Southern California.

Yeah, certain parts of Colorado and Wyoming have African Collared-Doves seen with some regularity. No nesting records yet but they're probably nesting and just being overlooked. They're similar to the wild-type birds, so the wingtip contrast isn't always a reliable field mark. They're best identified by voice.