On the Wing #38: Return of the Carolina Parakeet?

You've probably heard about them and thought one of two things. More likely you thought the former and assumed that all those new species that have become established in America in the past few decades could feasibly fill niches left open by others, but it seems doubtful or you can think like me and see the spread of a particular species as a second coming if you will. I'm referring to the spread of the Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) throughout the eastern United States and becoming the replacement species for the Carolina Parakeet (Conuropsis carolinensis). While I'm certain it probably won't fill the same niche eating the cockleburs that the Carolinas consumed, it certainly has the potential to spread far and wide. The extinction of the Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) certainly has left a gap in the American ecological histories of the country, but could another introduced species like the Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) replace it too?

I guess what I'm wondering is even if we have lost those unique North American species to the sands of extinction and time, can those new invaders adequately equate the same impact that those former species had on the primordial landscape. Only time will tell.

Some of you might be wondering, "When did this happen? I wasn't aware of these exotic species invading our continent. The last avian invasion I heard about was the starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) or House Sparrows (Passer domesticus). Why do I say the scientific names after all the birds I keep mentioning? Humans (Homo sapiens sapiens) don't usually do that, do they? Strange...."

But anyway...I've included some helpful bios (which all you guys and gals who love the (BRO) tournament that's going on at the moment will just go crazy for) that explain their stories.

Monk or Quaker Parakeets as they're called, are native to South America and were most likely introduced accidentally after birds from the pet trade escaped in New York. For the most part they are ignored because wherever they build their nests, which as the photo illustrates are, in essence, haystacks, this seems to discourage pigeons from nesting on buildings or other structures that they might otherwise foul with their droppings. Colonies of the birds are established in Connecticut, Brooklyn's Greenwood Cemetery, Cincinnati, Wisconsin, and a few other places. In relation to another successful psittacine, the only one that comes close is the Rose-ringed Parakeet's (Psittacula krameri) near conquest over certain parts of Europe. Although that feat alone is nothing when compared with the bird below.

Eurasian Collared-Doves are the marathon colonizers of the bird world. Next to Cattle Egrets, they have colonized more new places than any other birds. Now I hear you balk and say, "Well, what about House Sparrows and Starlings?" While it's true that they made it pretty far around the world, they were deliberately introduced by humans. Collared Doves can be considered as being the Romans of the bird world. They invaded everywhere in Europe. They originally came from Turkey and around the Middle East when suddenly in the early 1900s, they started spreading across Europe like wildfire. It seemed like every decade they were in a new place. By the 50s, had reach the UK and by the 80s, their invasion of Europe was complete. But they weren't satisfied. Somewhere in the dove hierarchies, they allowed themselves to be released into the Bahamas. What looked like the follies of a pet shop owner releasing another new species into an unfamiliar environment was actually a cunning plan to take over the world. After the release, a volcano threatened their existence and left to begin their epic conquest of North America. From their island base, the youngest recruits flew to Florida and began a colony that soon grew to engulf the state. They then moved onto the surrounding southern states and then in a northward advance, they made a foray into the Midwest. They now range from Washington state to Chicago and all along the southeast. One can only imagine when they'll make it to New York. It'll certainly be interesting to see, but for now I guess all we can do is wait.

Have a lovely weekend and as always, happy birding ^_^