Parrot Website Redux

Hi everyone,

I have redesigned and redirected my Wild Parrots of New York website – check out the new look and let me know what you think! In the meantime, here is some recent back yard action:

Petition to Protect the Wild Parrots

Please sign this on-line petition regarding pending
NY City and NY State legislation to protect wild Quaker parakeets. You need
not be a resident of NYC to support the City Council Resolution, all are
welcome to sign. Please spread this information to members of your
association, society, or club where appropriate. Thank you.

Barry & Gayle Schwartz
Feathered Friends Parrot Adoption Services, Inc.
(formerly Maspeth Bird Haven, Inc.)
Maspeth, NY

Spring Has Sprung!

Parrots visit daily, beautiful. They were doing alot of the “kissy face” thing, then as I slowly opened the door, then the screen…they knew I was watching them, backed away from one another, and flew off.

It’s Official!

This update came to me via email yesterday:

It is now official: The Bill to protect Quakers in NYS has now been picked up by Assemblywoman Rosenthal and introduced in the State Assembly, assigned as Bill A.7688. We now have a full-fledged Bill in consideration by both houses of the NYS Legislature.

Now, please spread the word and write your local Assembly Member to support the Bill!! – Barry Schwartz

S4131 Bill Extends Protection to Include Wild Parrots

The following post just came to me via email today. This bill seeks to include wild parrots as part of the law on protected species. In other news, regarding getting Resolution 1872 submitted to the Environmental Protection Committee, Council Member Avella would encourage concerned citizens and groups to send letters to the Speaker and the Committee Chair, Council Member James Gennaro, asking them to place the resolution on the Committee’s upcoming hearing agenda as soon as possible.

STATUS:
S4131 ADDABBO No Same as
Environmental Conservation Law
TITLE….Makes psittacine birds, especially Monk (Quaker) Parakeets, protected birds
04/14/09 REFERRED TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
SUMMARY:

Bill Summary Information Not Found
BILL TEXT:

STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________

4131

2009-2010 Regular Sessions

IN SENATE

April 14, 2009
___________

Introduced by Sen. ADDABBO — read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Environmental Conservation

AN ACT to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
making psittacine birds, especially Monk (Quaker) Parakeets, protected
birds

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
bly, do enact as follows:

1 Section 1. Paragraph a of subdivision 5 of section 11-0103 of the
2 environmental conservation law, as amended by chapter 47 of the laws of
3 1976, is amended to read as follows:
4 a. “Unprotected wild birds” means the English sparrow and starling,
5 and also includes pigeons [and psittacine birds] existing in a wild
6 state, not domesticated.
7 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

EXPLANATION–Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10619-02-9
SPONSORS MEMO:
NEW YORK STATE SENATE
INTRODUCER’S MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT
submitted in accordance with Senate Rule VI. Sec 1

BILL NUMBER: S4131

SPONSOR: ADDABBO

TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the environmental conservation law, in relation to
making psittacine birds, especially Monk (Quaker) Parakeets, protected
birds

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill would protect Monk (Quaker) parakeets and psittacine birds.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Amending paragraph A of subdivision 5 of section 11-0103 of the Environ-
mental Conservation Law, as amended by chapter 47 of the laws of 1976,
to read that the English sparrow, starling, pigeons and psittacine birds
be protected in New York State.

JUSTIFICATION:
Currently, wild Quaker Parakeets (a/k/a Monk Parakeets, species Myiop-
sitta monachus), are unprotected in New York State. As these highly
intelligent birds have resided in the New York City area for some fourty
years, it is requested that they be placed in “Protected” status by
amending the New York State Environmental Conservation Laws.

Quaker parakeets are not harmful to the environment, have not displaced
and been a threat to any native species, and have not been proven to
cause damage to any public utilities.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

Wild Parrot Legislation for NY: Update

From Barry Schwartz, Geologist at the NYC Bureau of Environmental & Geotechnical Services:

“According to the office of NYC Councilman Tony Avella, the Resolution regarding protecting Quaker parrots in NYC is due to be introduced at the next council meeting on March 24, 2009. I have draft copy of the finalized resolution–the officially introduced resolution, barring any problems, will be made publicly available on the NYC Council’s website some time after March 25th. After introduction, it will more than likely be sent to Committee (probably Environmental) for further consideration.

At that point, there will probably be a period allotted for public hearing/comments, and we will need all the support possible to get this resolution then passed.

I’ve been sheparding this with Council member Avella since last year, and it is really great to see this idea turn into a proposed legislation. I am still waiting to hear back from NY State Sen. Addabbo’s office on the more detailed proposed legislation for the State Legislature to consider (changing the designation of Quakers from unprotected to protected, and changing the NYS General Business Laws and the Agriculture & Markets Laws regarding the sale of birds in NY State).”

Red Headed Parrots?

Trey from Rockville Centre reports:

On 2/28/09
This morning I witnessed a flock of wild parrots in a tree in my backyard. These did not appear to be the same species as you described on your web page. The flock of 25 to 35 birds seemed to be quite a bit larger, with red heads. I live in Rockville Centre, the parrots hung out for about 1/2 hour and kept returning to the same tree. I once witnessed a flock in Brooklyn just north of Coney Island. These were a pleasant surprise.

After some back and forth with Trey and local parrot experts, it was determined these could be Cherry Heads, as featured in the film The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. Have you seen these birds? Here’s Trey’s best guess as to what they look like:

By the way, for those of you who haven’t seen this film, I highly recommend it…

And yet another expert chimes in to add to the Red Headed mystery:

Every year, early Spring, a flock of wild Conures (Cherry-headed and/or Mitred) are seen near St. John’s University (Jamaica Estates area). In fact, at the same house, coming to munch on their Cherry trees’ blossoms I believe. I think Steve Baldwin has this information on his web site.

They stay for a few days, then are noted as heading off east, out towards Nassau County. It has been a mystery, no one has been able to track them. Where do they winter, we wonder?

Steve Baldwin from Brooklyn Parrots has added the following information on March 4th, 2009:

Hi Judy and Trey,

I know a bit about this flock, but they’re elusive: I’ve never actually spotted them. They’re sort of the “flying dutchmen” of wild parrot flocks in NY.

This is just a hypothesis, but I think this flock lives in Forest Park in Queens. This statement is based on all the sitings I’ve recorded of them. I definitely plan on making an expedition out there as soon as I can.

best,
steve baldwin
brooklynparrots.com

Parrots in the Snow

We had a whopper of a storm today – a foot of snow or more. The green in the parrots feathers is almost electric against the white background.

It’s also seems so strange to be seeing a tropical bird in such a cold setting!

Parrot Convention!

I think no further description is necessary… ;^}

Click on the individual photos for a larger view.

February Activity

I’ve been out of town most of January. Upon my return I’ve noticed that there is no longer a nest in one of the cranes. This particular crane was out of service, so I am not sure if the surrounding neighbors took action or what.

We still have a bunch on our street and they appear to have taken renewed interest in a nest project that I thought they had abandoned a few months ago. Sadly, it’s on a transformer, which will only eventually lead to trouble. They still visit my backyard on a daily basis, but have no interest in our home made nest platform. In looking at what they prefer to build in/on – I would say the platform is not near tall enough (even though it was build as per the directions stated). We are considering at this point moving it so it is higher. The challenge is, it’s really heavy and will only become heavier if the parrots do decide to build on it.

Here are some recent backyard photos, I was disappointed I could not capture them when we had all of the snow on the ground.