That Bird Blog – Bird Care and History for Pet Birds

Please see Part I of this article to read about the natural history of the Ringneck Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) and it’s survival as an introduced species in foreign habitats ranging from Zanzibar to New York City. Read More »

The adaptable Ringneck Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) has been introduced to more far-flung places – Egypt, Macao, Singapore, Zanzibar, Great Britain, and California, to name a few – than perhaps any other parrot. To this impressive list I would like to add a population that is little-known and quite unexpected – the tiny flock that lives in New York City.

From Indian Woodlands to Bronx Streets

After catching glimpses of the phantom Ringnecks while birding along the Bronx River as a youth (and doubting what I had seen), I lost track of them until I began working as a bird keeper at the Bronx Zoo.  Shortly thereafter I came upon an injured Ringneck and began seeing the flock of 10-15 birds regularly.  The individual I cared for was missing several toes and showed other signs of battling the long, cold NY winters, but was otherwise in fine shape. Read More »