Thread: urban wildlife history

From a recent inspection, thought you guys in the warmer parts of the country might like this.
I don't remember the story exactly but from what I remember it goes something like this. During the 70's a load of parakeets escaped from an overturned truck or pet shop and acclimated to our weather and thrive. I see the main known flock over by Washington Park regularly. I was not aware there was a flock on the east side by the old steel mills. About 30-40 parakeets in this flock. It was barely 20 degrees out by the way. Enjoy

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I've heard that there are large parrots in the forests outside of Los Angeles from pets that were let go or escaped.

Originally Posted by Markus Keller

From a recent inspection, thought you guys in the warmer parts of the country might like this.
I don't remember the story exactly but from what I remember it goes something like this. During the 70's a load of parakeets escaped from an overturned truck or pet shop and acclimated to our weather and thrive. I see the main known flock over by Washington Park regularly. I was not aware there was a flock on the east side by the old steel mills. About 30-40 parakeets in this flock. It was barely 20 degrees out by the way. Enjoy

I owned a pet shop as another business years ago. Those quakers can be quite detructive to crops. Some states don't even allow them as they are known for tearing up corn fields and grain crops. Great pets and you can get them to say a serious amount of words.

Crops, corn fields? What's that think I saw them in a movie. We have fields of cement here.

Originally Posted by Ted Menelly

I owned a pet shop as another business years ago.

Yep. that explains a lot.

Those quakers can be quite destructive to crops.

Quakers are a persecuted religious group. Trying to start something here?

Some states don't even allow them as they are known for tearing up corn fields and grain crops. Great pets and you can get them to say a serious amount of words.

That's it. Brian, shut this guy down!

Originally Posted by Jim Robinson

I've heard that there are large parrots in the forests outside of Los Angeles from pets that were let go or escaped.

I grew up in Redondo Beach, CA (socal) and we had huge flocks of these parrots in our neighborhood. You'd hear them constantly.

The urban legend was that a pet store had burned down years ago and enough escaped to form these flocks.

Anyhow, first post for me. Too bad its not relevant.

Originally Posted by John Armstrong

I grew up in Redondo Beach, CA (socal) and we had huge flocks of these parrots in our neighborhood. You'd hear them constantly.

The urban legend was that a pet store had burned down years ago and enough escaped to form these flocks.

Anyhow, first post for me. Too bad its not relevant.

Of course it is relevant. The thread is about birds under general chit chat.

Marcus

You don't venture outside of Chicago much huh. Your state is nothing but crops and right outside of Chicago there are crops of all kinds. As they say, as the crow flies, they are not to far

Ted, I'm a City kid. Been out there in the wild nature from time to time. I start hearing Banjo music and get so scared my shoes fall off.

Originally Posted by Markus Keller

Ted, I'm a City kid. Been out there in the wild nature from time to time. I start hearing Banjo music and get so scared my shoes fall off.

I lived in Yorkville Illinois from age 10 and 11. I did walk to the end of the corn fields in the winter time to get to the bus stop at about a hundred below with the snow drifts 4 times taller than a 10 year old. Fields as far as the eye could see in all directions. Yorkville is slightly southwest from Chicago. I am sure it is a suburb of Chicago now. When I look at Google maps now it is still mostly crops in that area. City boy or not it is pretty tough to head out of Chicago for a very short drive and not still hit the country living. Some friends live in Plano and that was worse.

TM: Just so that we are all on the same page I would like to verify some new facts about you which have just come to light:

(1) You are a Yankee?

(2) You once owned a pet store?

(3) You now live in Cow Town?

(4) You want us to view you as credible?

I have to agree with JK on this one, the Hann should banish you to inspectionews.com

Originally Posted by A.D. Miller

TM: Just so that we are all on the same page I would like to verify some new facts about you which have just come to light:

(1) You are a Yankee?

(2) You once owned a pet store?

(3) You now live in Cow Town?

(4) You want us to view you as credible?

I have to agree with JK on this one, the Hann should banish you to inspectionews.com

Yep

Owning a pet store (named in my daughters name, Aprils Pet Center) gave me a much better understanding about the animals I was dealing with at that time in construction and inspection world and times to come in the future. Much easier to deal with folks after that. Including folks from the Dallas area

Since were on a bird issue, do Robins migrate in the winter???????? thanks for any Info.

... and here's a bit of pet shop humor.

COURTEOUS PARROT
A lady is walking down the street to work and sees a parrot in a pet store. She stops to admire the bird. The parrot says to her, "Hey lady, you are really ugly." Well, the lady is furious! She storms past the store to her work. On the way home she saw the same parrot in the window and the parrot upon seeing her says, "Hey lady, you are really ugly." She was incredibly ticked now. The next day on the way to work she saw the same parrot and once again it said, "Hey lady, you are really ugly." The lady was so furious that she stormed into the store and threatened to sue the store and have the bird killed. The store manager apologized profusely and promised the bird wouldn't say it again. The next day, when the lady walked past the store after work the parrot said to her, "Hey lady." She paused, scowled with an icy and deadly stare, and said with a hoarse voice, "Yes?" The bird, strutting back and forth on its perch in a cocky manner, said, "You know."

That's pretty good Rick.

Originally Posted by daniel nantell

Since we're on a bird issue, do Robins migrate in the winter???????? thanks for any Info.

Where I live, they stick around. Not much snow so they survive somehow on handouts and grubs. I have seen the same grey-headed robin here for a couple of years, he's raised up a few younguns in our yard. If they leave at all, they come back to the same nesting grounds. Crows eat their eggs from time to time. Robins don't conceal their nests very well.
Parakeets surviving in the windy city, what's next, alligators in the Great Lakes?

Originally Posted by John Kogel

Where I live, they stick around. Not much snow so they survive somehow on handouts and grubs. I have seen the same grey-headed robin here for a couple of years, he's raised up a few younguns in our yard. If they leave at all, they come back to the same nesting grounds. Crows eat their eggs from time to time. Robins don't conceal their nests very well.
Parakeets surviving in the windy city, what's next, alligators in the Great Lakes?

You haven't heard ?

We have a huge flock here that lives in the palm trees on the campus of San Diego State University.

Hi Markus,

Those are Monk Parrots the are originally from the adies mountains and yes a crate caring them broke at the airport about 20 years ago and they have flourished on the south and east sides since then.

It is to bad you did not get a picture of their nests. They are hough and they have built them in the cell phone towers. They cut small branches about 10" long and bring them to make the nest it is a communal nets that can hold lots of parrots. They fly back and forth all day caring small 10" sticks they are very loud annoying birds to the residence near by.

The east side has the largest concentration of them. They are also in Hyde Park and are now starting to be seen in Beverly. The magic-kiss sign at 76th and the DanRYan is one big nest for these parrots. They are alot of fun to watch. When they first started to be seen some people caught them and brought them into their homes as pets but they did not survive.