A Tropical Echo in the City: How Parrots Are Thriving in Los Angeles
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A morning mist hung over the palm trees as birds chattered and cars roared by on the streets of Pasadena, a scene that evoked a tropical island rather than a bustling city in north-east Los Angeles county. But among the familiar sounds, a vibrant chorus of squawks hints at a surprising secret: Los Angeles is now home to thriving populations of free-flying parrots.
An Unexpected Urban Ecosystem
“It feels parrot-y,” says Diego Blanco, a research assistant at Occidental College’s Moore zoology lab, nodding to the verdant flora that surrounds us: tall trees and ornamental bushes with berries. Blanco and John McCormack, who directs the lab, have dedicated themselves to studying these unexpected residents of the LA basin. Most are a vivid green species with a shock of red at their head – known as red-crowned parrots – but the area also hosts lilac-crowned, yellow-crowned, and Nanday parakeets.
“You’d be surprised sometimes,” McCormack says. “They can be right above you and you don’t even see them.” Often, they are heard before they are seen. The researchers readily identify the calls of other birds – scrub jays, band-tailed pigeons – before Blanco suddenly exclaims, “Oh oh oh, those are parrots!” A group of six radiant green parrots soars overhead, initiating what the researchers jokingly call a “very lopsided parrot chase.”
From Pet Trade to Urban Dwellers
these colorful birds weren’t always part of the Southern California landscape. They are descendants of parrots imported from Mexico and South america during a peak in the pet trade during the 1970s, often purchased by celebrities. A pivotal moment in their story involves a fire at a pet store, where firefighters opened cages to save the birds, setting in motion their integration into the urban wilds.over the years,they escaped and adapted,transforming the urban habitat into their own.
Today, the parrot population numbers in the thousands, a common sight in neighborhoods from Pasadena to Malibu. Remarkably, they face few predators – primarily hawks and other raptors – and don’t compete with native birds for food, subsisting on a diet of almost entirely imported ornamental plants. This has led McCormack to theorize that the parrots are creating “arcs of biodiversity,” drawing other species into urban populations from these arcs of biodiversity that occur in cities,” McCormack says.
Further research indicates that the nanday parakeet, found in the Santa Monica Mountains, has adapted to feed on sycamore trees, suggesting a potential expansion into the Santa Ynez mountain range behind Santa Barbara. “.
A Love-Hate Relationship and a Future in the City
Whatever their future role in conservation, the parrots continue to inspire both admiration and frustration among Los Angeles residents. “Some people think they’re a little noisy,” says Denys Hemen, a facility and operations manager at the Audubon Center at Debs Park in Los Angeles. “During the day, you might hear one or two chattering somewhere in the tree. I personally love them.” Their calls,adapted for communication over long distances in their native jungle environment,carry well in the urban landscape.
Researchers like Janel Ortiz at Cal Poly Pomona are studying their roosting habits and nesting behaviors, noting their reliance on palm tree cavities, which are increasingly threatened by aging and removal. Despite these challenges, the parrot population remains strong – estimates suggest over 3,000 red-crowned parrots alone.
While currently lacking specific legal protections as non-native species, the birds were added to the California Bird records Committee in 2021, acknowledging their integration into the state’s ecosystems. Some scientists advocate for sanctuary status, recognizing their role as endangered species thriving within an urban environment.
As the parrots soar over Pasadena, Blanco reflects on the wonder of having these birds from distant lands thriving in the urban jungle. “It’s like a little piece of the tropics that’s being brought here,” he says, his eyes trained to the skies. “They bring with them the creativity of those ecosystems.”
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