Aliens!

I can hear the persistent and loud call of the birds (I think it is only one or two at the most) I am going to highlight today. The green “parrot” flies in flocks around my home. Others are aware of this flock as, in my quick research on-line, I have read some articles about the flock. 

I didn’t want to write about birds again but these birds are becoming more prevalent closer to my house so they are on my mind. [Read more about the Rose-ringed Parakeet and why it is a parakeet on my Nature - At Home page accessed on the sidebar.] Of course, birds are a special favorite of mine!

Rose-ringed Parakeet / tree at my neighbor's house / October 8, 2015

To me this flock of Parakeets are pests. I think it is frightening to imagine large parrot-sized birds sitting on my deck or sitting on a tree right in my backyard! I am not sure why parrots, and other odd pets like chinchilla, are allowed to be brought into our state. After all a number of prominent failed “experiments” of introduced species to Hawaii are well established in the natural history of our state! 

Parrots as pets in Hawaii are very bothersome. Here are some reasons why:

1) It is irritating when you are walking around high visitor population locations and men roaming the sidewalk areas (notice most of the time they are men interacting with young women) put parrots on you for a photo. What if you were afraid of birds? At the very least it is intimidating to have a very large beak near your face! Secondly, one doesn’t want to be obligated to give a tip or money for the “use” of the parrot.

2) I like to provide education at all opportunities. The presence of these parrots in Hawaii, interacting with visitors to Hawaii, will lead people to believe the parrots are native to Hawaii. Just because the birds are “tropical” and they are brightly colored. This overshadows the presence of and importance of our colorful, and dainty in comparison, native forest birds with bright and delicate songs. Which of those two contrasting types of birds will our visitors even encounter, and remember, (besides all those pigeons) in Hawaii?

3) If these pet parrots get lost, which they obviously have in the past, the parrots could become a pest. I read an article in our local newspaper where an “expert” said these parrots have established flocks outside of their country of origin and have never developed into pests. 

I believe the one large flock of Rose-ringed Parakeets near my home are already pests! I really think something should be done about them before the parrots spread all over the island. In my years of living at my current home, the flock has increased in number. Many years before the flock included about twenty or so birds; now I estimate about a hundred or more birds flying when the birds are on the move.

The noise of this flock is also very irritating. My niece, when visiting, called them flying monkeys. Have you ever seen the old movie The Wizard of Oz? The flock arrives at dawn and leaves at dusk. The noise wakes you up on a sleep-in day. Once my friend was talking on the phone to my husband and she heard, over the phone, the noise of the flock flying away as she knew it would arrive in her valley soon!

As evidenced in my photos the parrots are boldly close to my home, actually closer to my neighbors. In more than 25 years of living in my current home, this is the first time I have seen these parrots so close. I don't want the parrots to scare away the sweet secretive cardinal pair that flit about and also visit that tree. (Although the Northern red cardinal is also introduced, it has been so long since its introduction few remember when the introduction occurred. Also the cardinal is smaller and appear in only one or two at a time in our neighborhood.)

The parrots also spew a very large amount of droppings (or guano which may be a term limited to sea birds). The spots on surfaces around my yard are disgustingly large. I hate to think if the numbers increased and there were more of the parrots sitting on the telephone lines like the doves. Just think if such a “splash” landed on your head! 

I think something should be done to ban the presence of potentially detrimental species as pets. At the very least, banning the presence of large parrots should be legislated.