Monk Parakeet
Myiopsitta monachus
Compiled by Lisa S. Graham.

Bright green, noisy, and unmistakably social, the Monk Parakeet may seem like an unlikely resident of an American city, but in Austin these South American natives have become a familiar and colorful part of the urban landscape. About the size of a robin, Monk Parakeets have green backs and wings, gray faces and breasts, long pointed tails, and flashes of blue in their wings that become especially noticeable in flight. Their loud, harsh calls often announce a flock before the birds they come into view. 

Native to the grasslands of South America, Monk Parakeets arrived in the United States through the pet trade and began establishing wild populations during the 1960s and 1970s. Escaped or released birds proved remarkably adaptable, eventually creating self-sustaining colonies in a number of American cities, including Austin. Unlike many introduced birds, they have remained primarily urban and suburban, taking advantage of plentiful food sources and human-made structures. Today, the Monk Parakeet is considered the most abundant naturalized parrot in the United States.

Austin has had its own population for roughly half a century. The exact origin of the city’s birds is uncertain, although local accounts trace them to escaped or released pets in the 1970s. The Texas Breeding Bird Atlas documents an established breeding population in the Austin area. They are now year-round Austin residents and have been reported in places such as Lady Bird Lake, Zilker Park, East Austin, and other areas around the city. 

Perhaps nothing about these birds is more remarkable than their homes. Most parrots depend on cavities in trees for nesting, but Monk Parakeets are unusual because they build enormous communal nests from sticks. These conspicuous structures are often constructed high in trees or on utility poles and other human-made structures. Rather than housing a single family, a nest becomes an avian apartment complex, with multiple chambers occupied by different pairs. The birds use these structures not only for breeding but also for sleeping and shelter throughout the year. 

This unusual communal lifestyle may be one of the secrets to the Monk Parakeet’s success far beyond its native range. Their massive nests provide insulation and protection from the weather, helping colonies survive temperatures that might seem impossible for a South American parrot. Remarkably, the same adaptability has enabled Monk Parakeets to establish populations in much colder cities, including Chicago and New York.

Nesting and raising young are community affairs, at least in terms of where families live. Each breeding pair occupies its own chamber within the larger communal structure. Egg laying generally occurs from April through July, with a possible second clutch in early September. Young birds begin leaving the nest at about seven weeks after hatching and may remain with their parents until they are around three months old. Because the nest remains occupied throughout the year, young parakeets grow up quite literally surrounded by a neighborhood of other Monk Parakeets. 

Monk Parakeets are just as sociable away from the nest. They frequently travel and feed in noisy groups, eating seeds, grains, fruit, and other plant foods. Their adaptability to urban environments, strong social bonds, and ability to construct their own sheltered homes have helped them thrive far from the South American landscapes where the species originated. 

For Austin residents, that combination of adaptability, intelligence, and sheer personality has transformed an introduced species into something of a local character. A flash of tropical green against a Texas-blue sky may initially look completely out of place, but after decades of breeding here, Monk Parakeets have become a well-established part of Austin’s urban birdlife. Their oversized stick nests, raucous conversations, and tight-knit colonies make them one of the city’s most unexpected avian residents. 

Interesting Facts

• They have their own distinctive “voices.” Individual Monk Parakeets have recognizable differences in their calls, essentially vocal signatures that may help distinguish one bird from another within their highly social flocks.
• They have a social pecking order. Life in a Monk Parakeet colony includes plenty of squabbling. Researchers have documented dominance hierarchies within their social groups, although most disputes are minor and rarely result in injury. 
• They can imitate human speech. Monk Parakeets kept in captivity can learn to mimic human speech, demonstrating the sophisticated vocal abilities characteristic of parrots. 

Compiled by Lisa S. Graham.  Sources include All About Birds (Cornell), Audubon Field Guide, and texashighways.com.
Photo credit: Kacau Oliveira, Macaulay Library, Sebastian Casarez, Kelley Murphy