A flying squad of feral parrots visited out street this morning. They’ve been around Berkeley for years, but we’ve never had them appear so close before. They sat up at the top of the power pole across the street and squawked; one peeled off and starting gnawing leaves or stems at the top of our neighbor’s oak.
These guys, of whatever gender, have been around the North Berkeley flats for years. It seems like they must have been successful reproduciing up to a point, because sometimes you’d see a dozen or more at a time, and I don’t think a whole flock escaped. But they don’t seem to have flourished beyond that. I don’t know much about how they survive in their native habitat, but I guess Berkeley offers slim pickings.
We have them in New Orleans, too. They’re hearty survivors. Our climate and yours is similar to their indigenous climate. No idea what impact they’ll ultimately have on the local indigenous wildlife. They have surely added to the urban din, though. Man, can they make some noise.