Quaker Parrots in Texas

One day last week while entering the building where I work, four parrots flew past in perfect synchronicity. They were green with grayish chests, and they moved swiftly, so swiftly that I could not get my phone out of my pocket to record them before they were gone. Had I not heard about the Quaker parrots of Texas before, I would not have believed my eyes.

Seeing the birds reminded me of the time Martina and I witnessed wild macaws in flight in Costa Rica. Encountering those large, colorful parrots in the wild was a challenge to my mindset, for my mind almost could not imagine them being anything other than domesticated.

But parrots flying through Fort Worth challenged my mindset in a slightly different way. The Quaker parrots, also known as monk parakeets, just seemed strangely out of context, though I now know that places like the DFW Metroplex and East Austin have become home sweet home for these feathered fellows. In fact, these formerly domesticated birds from South America have adapted so well to the Texas environment that they even have their own Facebook page.

Here is a link to a very informative article about the Quaker parrots of Texas.

http://www.austin360.com/lifestyles/recreation/true-wild-parrots-live-here/rJLTQgA5GYo6qRllqiaThI/