Monk Parakeet

How is it that the Monk Parakeet, a bird whose native habitat is equatorial South America, has become so much at home in the State of Connecticut? Well, these birds may come from the tropics, but their habitat there is high in the mountains, so they are accustomed to a certain amount of cold. They are also clever enough to stay near the coast where our climate is mildest, and adaptable enough to eat just about anything, including these bittersweet berries high in a Sherwood Island maple tree.
December 1, 2003