I thought I was imagining things when, a few weeks ago in Maplewood’s Memorial Park, I saw a few parakeets flying around. I’d heard about the parakeets of Telegraph Hill and of Brooklyn, but wild parakeets in Maplewood? Couldn’t be.
But it turns out the birds weren’t just a figment of my imagination. The Monk Parakeets, as they’re called, originate from Argentina and have been in Maplewood since around 2009. Self-sustaining feral populations have been present in this country since the 1960s, when they were imported as pets. Many escaped or were released and they’re now found in several states including New Jersey, Connecticut and New York (those Brooklyn parakeets are also Monk Parakeets). Unlike other birds from subtropical climates, the Monk Parakeet is better equipped at surviving in cold climates, which explains why they’re found this far north.
The Maplewood parakeets recently found themselves in a bind earlier this week, according to this post from Maplewood Patch, when a nest they had constructed on some overhead wires at the train station became too big. NJ Transit was forced to remove it because, as a spokesperson told Patch, the birds’ home, nestled among 27,000 volts of power, was a “tremendous” fire hazard. The birds have since been spotted at the South Orange pool.
Perhaps they’ll make their way even further north. With all of the other wild animals around–egrets, wolf dogs, bears–they’ll certainly feel at home.
Photo from Wikipedia
It is so typical of PSE&G, and indeed of all human organizations, to assume that the rights of Homo sapiens trump those of our avian brethren. These budgerigars built a home by the sweat of their brows (if they can be said to have brows, which is doubtful). They are self-made birds. They took the hand life dealt them and made lemonade. And here comes the jackboot of big government destroying everything they’ve worked for for the sake of 27,000 volts. We don’t even need them. So the trains have to coast a few feet.
Unlike other birds from subtropical climates, the Monk Parakeet is better equipped at surviving in cold climates, which explains why they’re found this far north.
I’m sure the past 20 straight months of above-average temperatures in New Jersey has helped these birds sustain their populations as well.
Which isn’t necessarily a good thing; one of the affects of global climate change is and will be the migration of species (not the least of which are destructive insects) into latitudes and altitudes they were formerly unsuited to inhabit, and the resulting reduction of suitable habitat for species which formerly inhabited those spaces.
This is the canary, er, Monk Parakeet, in the coal mine.
Pork Roll, this is also the reason there is group of Great Whites hanging around what had been our favorite surfing spot on Cape Cod. It’s going to get interesting in the next decade. At least I can grow figs here now. Who knows, maybe even a citrus would survive now..
“affect” should be “effect”
Perhaps in a few years we can expect pineapple farms in Delaware and coffee plantations in Virginia.
There are documented flocks in Edgewater and Brooklyn which have been there for 30 years. It’s not because of a warm winter last year. It’s interesting to speculate how they got here. The Brooklyn flock is generally believed to have grown from a crate of escapees from JFK Airport. There is a theory that the Edgewater flock grew from some that were prizes in Palisades Amusement Park…and escaped. I like that story since I remember seeing the booths with parakeets as prizes. Every time I start to wax nostalgic about Palisades Park, I find I get the inexplicable Jones for a Belgian Waffle.