Monk Parrot of Fuerteventura
Wild parakeets
On the island of Fuerteventura in the town of Morro Jable there are now colonies of Monk Parrots. The birds have been fed by humans for so long that they no longer fear humans and will approach to be fed. While you walk along the beach promenade the birds can be heard in the palm trees above you. You’ll see the birds nesting in the palm trees. An obvious problem is the green colour of the birds blends with the green foliage of the trees. Use your ears to localize the sounds and then allow your eyes time to adjust. The birds can also be seen flying in groups to and from the trees. When you reach the whale skeleton the birds can often be found in the adjacent play area being fed by tourists.
Size of the Monk Parrot colonies
The number of birds is fairly high having formed large colonies. The birds you see in the video are only a small portion of those that fly around the area. The easiest way to grasp the size of the colonies is to place some food out. You will likely be surrounded by a large number of birds in less than a minute. If you then look up into the trees you will notice the number of birds in the trees will not have changed much in spite of the birds now surrounding you.
Monk Parakeet feeding
The birds are well fed by the tourists. Likely why the number of Quaker parakeet is so high in spite the lack of natural food sources in the area. The desert like conditions contrast with the native habitat of the birds in South America. The local shops seem to do a good business in treats for the various animals in the area. Seeds and peanuts for the birds. Apples for the donkeys. Nuts for the squirrels. All of this in spite of the fact that feeding the animals is frowned upon. You will see signs warning tourist not to feed the animals. Quite often you’ll find tourists standing next to the signs feeding the animals.
Monk Parrot on a rail
Monk Parrot eating
Monk Parrot watching
Monk Parrot walking the talk
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