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01-07-99: New pictures of the parakeets taken by Steve Biel in December.

Welcome to the Hyde Park Parakeet Page! My goal is to promote knowledge of this beautiful alien species residing in our neighborhood, and hopefully to allow others to experience the birds on the net and also in person. This site is rapidly expanding. I hope you enjoy it! Any feedback would be appreciated.

Feral Monk Parakeets in Chicago!

These parakeets are a sub-tropical species from southern Latin America, namely Argentina; genus and species Myiopsitta monachus. There are also three other subspecies. Commonly kept as pets under the name of the Quaker parrot, these birds are intelligent and friendly to humans. In this feral population, they are somewhat wary of humans and stay to the trees or the nests when approached. They can be identified by their bright green back and head, grey underbelly, and the scalloping feathers on the throat. Also notice the distinctive blue wing primary feathers, strong hooked beak and sharply pointed tail. The only native bird that rivals its bright green plumage is the female Painted Bunting. In South America they are generally regarded as agricultural pests but have not proven to be so in Chicago, and are actually very popular. The only complaints directed at the birds stem from their constant loud chatter, usually a very harsh eeeh-eeeh, although they have eleven recognized vocalizations. Members of the Psittacidae family, including 358 species of mostly tropical parrots, the monks are unique due to their complex nesting behaviour. The nests are huge, bulky structures, built by weaving small twigs together on a tree branch or electrical pole. They have even built on a satellite dish in Hyde Park. The nest can contain from 1 to 6 nesting pairs on average, each with a separate compartment and entrance hole. Chicago probably has the harshest winter monk parakeets face in the world, and it has been speculated that they survive exclusively on bird seed in backyard feeders during the coldest months (Hyman and Pruett-Jones 1995).

History of Myiopsitta monachus in Hyde Park (Chicago, IL)

Native mostly to Argentina and Brazil, one finds it strange how birds accustomed to a more temperate environment could survive the harsh, blustery winters of Chicago, especially next to Lake Michigan. According to research done at the University of Chicago parakeets were first spotted in Hyde Park in 1973. Records show that by 1979 they were successfully nesting and breeding in the area (Hyman and Pruett-Jones 1995)

As escaped pets these feral monk parakeets have not been appreciated by everyone. In Argentina they are actually considered major agricultural pests and have been actively sought out and destroyed. In this country the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service waged a half-hearted war against the parakeets, eliminating half of them, but in the end gave in to the burgeoning populations around the country. The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture attempted to eliminate the Hyde Park parakeets in 1988 but were thwarted by community protests and a threatened lawsuit and had to give up their plan. The late mayor Harold Washington had them nesting outside of his Hyde Park apartment and was very fond of them. The group that formed in '87 was called the "Harold Washington Memorial Parakeet Defense Fund". How fitting that the most visible nesting site is in an ash tree in Harold Washington park. Recently, ComED has had problems with the parakeets, tearing down several of the nests found on utility poles.

While illegal to keep Monk parakeets in some states with or without a permit, Illinois has no such law. However, the birds are seen as alien invaders and thus not protected as native species are. So far the parakeets are not responsible for any agricultural damage, except to perhaps a backyard apple tree, and would not seem to be a threat in an urban neighborhood such as Hyde Park.

Right now there are several colonies of these feral birds in the U.S. in the following states:

Alabama

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Louisiana

New York

Oregon

Texas

Virginia

Illinois

Carol Stream

Lake Calumet

Hyde Park

The Hyde Park parakeets are one of the most interesting groups due to their location in such a cold urban environment. If you would like to see the parakeets for yourself, check out this map of nesting sites. Also be sure to look at my nest pictures.

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