Parakeets...in Manhattan?
Riverside Park, NYC
Wednesday 4 September 2019
85 °F
Upon learning about an active Monk Parakeet nest just fifteen blocks away from the Manhattan School of Music, I just had to get over there to see it! Introduced species or not, it is unbelievably awesome that these parakeets nest throughout NYC — with this nest, I believe they may have now nested in all of the 5 boroughs of the city!
I took the M5 up to 135th St and, after a short walk, found the almost eyesore of a nest high in a tree along Riverside Drive. These parakeets love to build ridiculously large stick nests that can hold multiple family units at once. In Chicago, look for their nests from underneath the south side of the Chicago Skyway bridge.
I saw two MONK PARAKEETS today: an adult (presumably the mother) and an immature bird which periodically begged from its mom by quivering its wings. It was very cool to see this behavior in a larger bird species such as a parakeet — I am more accustomed to seeing this in birds such as sparrows, warblers, etc.
A very nice little trip! Bird-of-the-day to the Monk Parakeets with runner-up to a SWAINSON’S THRUSH I heard-only in Riverside Park. The migrants are starting to come through, so stay tuned, I will definitely go birding saturday, if not before then!
Good birding,
Henry
World Life List: 975 Species
Great find. I finally saw the nests under the Chicago Skyway bridge. The nest was spectacular with little individual openings showing some birds peeking out. I got several awesome photos and a bird to add to my life list.
by Joyce