They’re colorful, plentiful and really, really loud. They’re Nanday Parakeets, and I came across a bunch of them on a recent visit to the Celery Fields park in Sarasota.
While these birds are found in many parts of the state, they’re not native to Florida.
“Recognized by its black head (and formerly called Black-hooded Parakeet), this species was originally found in the central interior of South America, from southern Brazil to northern Argentina,” Audubon.org notes. “It has been popular in the cage bird trade, and Nanday Parakeets escaped from captivity have established large feral populations around Los Angeles, in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, and along Florida’s southeastern coast.”
At the Celery Fields, there must have been at least two dozen of them that flew in to roost in trees and take advantage of some feeders set up at the park.
According to the FWC, these birds have also been spotted in east Central Florida, specifically Brevard County. I haven’t come across any there yet, but I will be looking for them.
