Macaws in the wild...Fla?????

[Greenwing]

Well I was in my home office.. Looking out the window.. When I noticed a large macaw sitting on the fence(I thought it was Charlie or max one of my Greenwing). I quickly ran to the screened pool deck and accounted for them.. I then slowly walked up to the new guest..but before I could get to close he took flight along with a friend I hadn't seen that was in a tree on my property...

It appeared he/she was looking at my flock from the fence..And the one in the tree was keeping an eye out for predators....I put one of the stands with food and water by the fence but have not seen them again....

 

[weco]

Well, chances are they they'll be back, since they know relatives are around.....

GW, I was just wondering how fast "...I quickly ran..." is ? ? ?

 

[JerseyWendy]

WOW! I bet you did a double take on that one! I know I would.

....and then I would put a cage outside...with food, lol.

 

[Jtbirds]

Greenwing an idea may be to slowly approach them and honestly try to catch him or her by whatever means, I kinda doubt they are wild macaws more then likely they are someone's breeders or something they let out by accident or on purpose. Plus they won't survive in the wild of Florida so it would be best to catch them. At least that is what I think, but I would approach slowly and then go from there I'm sure they will be back.

 

[MonicaMc]

Uh, no... no there are wild macaws in Florida.

North Bay Island, FL - a set on Flickr
Florida 2011 - a set on Flickr

I know for a fact that there is a wild flock of B&G's in florida, but I don't know so much about other species of macaws....

The Wild Parrots of Miami - a set on Flickr


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjAlgTKu3wM]Wild Parrots, Macaws of Florida - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Featheredsamurai]

Last time I read about the wild blue and golds the flock was at 28 birds, I wonder if any are second generation?

 

[Greenwing]

Well Weco as fast as a 48 yr old 275lbs.. ( wide at the shoulder narrow at the hips) 6'1" guy can run..( believe it or not I can move pretty quick the yrs have been kind) My initial thought was that one of my guys got out some how...

I did approach the big guy slowly.. I got as close as 5-6 feet.. I was saying "step up.. "..He looked at me and without warning took off..

Justin.. I will try and capture them... But I think they will be all right..I remember several yrs ago I went to a parrot park in Miami or Coral Gables... All the birds they had were wild..they had either escaped or were released from there prior owner..not one was caged... They estimated they were frequented by thousands that came to be fed daily.. They came and went every day as they pleased... They had GW, Scarlett's, B£G and cockatoo's .. They would capture the sick looking ones.. Treat them and rerelease...I believe last I heard they moved to Miami Beach..

 

[MarciaLove]

oh yea when I lived in FL at my dads house there were always a few macaws that hung out in his yard they were Blue and Golds I loved watching them!

 

[Pinkbirdy]

How Cool I would have been so excited [after the intial quick heartattack ,thinking it was mine ] Get your camera handy. Glad we established how fast you were running LOL:

 

[weco]

When I was reading the post, I had a mental image of you hastily checking on your birds, but never having met, you can imagine where a mind might go.....although your linebacker description is lost on me, we are similar in description, though I'm a bit lighter & a few years older, but height is on point...glad your exercise period was only that.....

 

[Greenwing]

Pinkbirdy.. I have cameras on the property.. And I looked over the recording.. But the one on the fence was just out of sight... And the other cameras are set to low to record anything in the trees.... I have since adjusted them a bit to see if I can capture anything on recording ..I will put the perch and food out again in the AM...

Weco.. I keep things pretty squared away.. When I entered the pool house I was able look down the line and see straight away they were all present and accounted for... But I have to be honest I thought the worst and it did get the heart pumping..

 

[Jtbirds]

Monica lets point out they are not wild macaws...they started as pets someone released similar to all of the snakes. It is truly sad to see this kind of releasing going on those macaws weren't ment to live there and I'm sure you'll have half of Florida complaining in no time.

 

[locito277]

Hey guys we have a famous flock in Coral Gables LOL Quakers galore too. This is like Parrot paradise

 

[Greenwing]

I thought I read that when the moved parrot jungle from the gables to Miami Beach.. That some refused to be captured... And most still flock to the old parrot jungle..

 

[BillsBirds]

Yes, in Florida, here, we have many exotic animals that thrive in the "wild". Many of them are released pets, and many are set free by damage from hurricanes to breeding facilities, homes, and stores. Hurricane Andrew was a tremendous hurricane that destroyed hundreds of places where animals of all kinds were kept. Zoos, tourist amusemen venues, breeders, and Shelters were destroyed, but, some of the animals survived, and have reproduced, forming new "wild" populations. Other hurricanes have done the same thing. We have monkeys, snakes, parrots, lizards, and so many more. The warm climate, no winter die-off, and lack of natural predators, contributes greatly to the survival, and propagation, of exotic species here in Florida.

 

[Jtbirds]

Thanks bills that is more like it, then just a wild population that was produced or migrated.

 

[psychocircus91]

I agree, I still wouldn't consider them "wild macaws". Quakers are an invasive species to Florida and highly considered as pests. It would be a shame to see more birds become illegal in some states.

 

[MonicaMc]

I would still consider some of them to be wild parrots! Yes, there's probably a lot of them that were previously pets, breeders or show/zoo animals, but considering the fact that Florida has quarantine stations for the import and export of animals, and has a major airport for international travel, how many animals might have escaped from these places or were released?


Seriously, think about it!

HolisticBird and HolisticBirds

Some escaped near airports in large cities. The old bird import quarantine stations were located in Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; Miami, FL; Chicago, IL; New Orleans, LA; New York, NY: Seattle, WA; Dallas/Fort Worth, TX; Portland, OR; Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA and Atlanta, GA. It is no coincidence that the cities where feral Quaker parakeets have managed to establish colony nest sites are located near or within the same cities as were the quarantine stations. This fact is very supportive of the assertion that Quakers will not become invasive pests.

BrooklynParrots.com: about the Wild Parrots of Brooklyn: What are Wild Parrots Doing in Brooklyn?

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/nwrc/publications/07pubs/avery072.pdf

Hundreds of thousands of exotic birds passed through the Miami airport. Many escaped there before getting to pet shops, zoos, and private exhibitors. Others were subsequently released on purpose or by accident.

How to See Wild Parrots in the US of A | eHow


Urban Parrot Phenomena



You cannot have a very healthy self-sustaining population of wild parrots *UNLESS* you have several parrots of the same species escape at the same time. A few pets here and there doesn't make too much sense as people keep and raise a variety of species.... what are the chances of two or more birds of the same species being let out around the same time in the same area and meeting up???? and the birds, being pets, not knowing how to survive and then quickly learning how to do so (where to find food, where to nest, how to keep warm, etc) with no parrots to learn from?? so it shouldn't be too far out of the question to suspect that many of these flocks started due to a group of parrots being imported and getting loose, from zoos or from breeders who have a large stock of parrots from one species... and once these flocks get "established" then new blood is brought in via escaped pets or pets that are let loose.

Considering what's fed in captivity compared to whats available around the USA, it's highly unlikely (not impossible, unlikely) that *most* escaped parrots would learn how to survive alone with no other parrots to show them what is or is not safe to eat, and how to protect themselves from the elements....

 

[Alwese]

Being out and about with my birds all the time I repeatedly hear of people saying there are "wild parrots" in south Florida; I have never seen them here in North Florida. Near my son's house was an escaped Moluccan Cockatoo that came to the same tree every morning. He must have found enough to eat as he came around for almost a year. Many people tried to trap him. Only one time in 30 years here there was a huge Scarlet macaw that people thought was my Clifford in a tall pine tree. I tried to call him down with Clifford, but it didn't work.

 

[aliray]

I have only seen one flock of wild quakers feeding on ripe seagrapes at the beach in Mannisota Key beach . However I have lived here now for 5 years and there is a constant seasonal change of food for parrots available all year round from safe fruits and berries, palm nuts of all finds and description. which a lot of parrots like. Plus lots of people put out bird feeders and plant a lot of exotics like hibiscus bushes which parrots and iguanas both like and would eat in their native countrys. Finding a steady supply of foods should not be a problem. Plus the warn climate is ideal. I keep waiting to see some in my back yard. No luck on the parrots yet But we did have a five and a half foot green iguana come traipsing though the back yard a couple of years ago and did get pictures