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

[sodakat]

If you look on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website they have a section for non native species including birds. There are 7 species of macaws listed as reported living in feral populations in Florida since the 1980s. Scarlet macaws have been reported in 5 counties. Most of the others in a lot fewer counties. The only species reportedly breeding are the Chestnut-fronted macaw which appears to use abandoned pilleated woodpecker nests

There are feral parrots in many places. No need to capture them.

Hyacinth Macaw
Blue-and-yellow Macaw
Scarlet Macaw
Military Macaw
Red-shouldered Macaw
Chesnut-fronted Macaw
Yellow-collared Macaw

 

[MonicaMc]

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.

I actually read a story about an escaped amazon somewhere "up north". Not only did it learn to survive for two years through warm and freezing (i.e. below freezing/snow) temperatures, but it was eventually recaptured and returned to the owners. That could be considered a miracle, since many escaped pets often don't survive in the wild (I didn't even mention predators!), and if found, not many of them are reunited with their owners!

I have one such cockatiel, I don't know if she was released or escaped, but the people before me found her in their yard and *not once* did they think she was a lost pet and that someone was looking for her... and I know someone else who's female cockatiel escaped and thought lost if not for a friend/family member who was visiting the people who had found the bird and used their restroom and picked up these peoples newspaper while doing their business and found the ad for the lost bird!


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If you find an escaped pet then yes, it's best to try and capture the bird! But if it's a "wild" parrot (aka urban parrot), it's best to just leave them be.

 

[psychocircus91]

I just think "wild macaws of florida" sounds misleading. I have no doubt that they are not pets, but agreed, they are technically wild animals, just non-native species.

 

[goalerjones]

There were fires in San Diego, well truthfully there are every year. But one year someones Scarlet macaw got out in the Fallbrook area near a friends house. After the fire was over the bird began hanging around a local house. They have left him free but he comes to their property for water and food.

 

[keepsmiling]

There are a huge amount of parrots in Florida living wild. There are severes, B&G's, amazons, and conures of many species to name a few. There is a huge flock of B&G's around Miami. They live and breed and do just fine in FL.

 

[sssaucey]

Florida's macaws are somewhat similar to mute swans living in my area, they are a non native introduced species. That were originally escaped pets. However just because they are introduced does not make them any less wild.

I read on another forum and through some of my own research that the majority of macaws are from a animal park that was hit by a hurricane which resulted in them being blown away.

Apparently they are being left alone at this time because they are not a competitor for native species. Due to the fact that they are eating only the introduced palms and other nut bearing trees.

 

[WannaBeAParrot]

There are lots of Quakers living in Palm Beach County, FL.... at golf courses, parks, etc. they are fearless and in large flocks. There's one that is in my community and likes to stop at my neighbor's very tall and huge palm tree on the lake. If you have just 1% hearing, you'll know they are there.

Yes, Florida's Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission has stated about the Miami-Dade county populations that they are breeding and "most of them were pets that were released."

QUOTE:
There is speculation and debate about the origin of these birds, but Brigitte Grosjean, the public relations manager for Jungle Island, said that despite the circulating rumors, the animal theme park did not lose any birds during Hurricane Andrew.

Searcy (Professor or Ornithology) believes the macaws we see on campus are likely to have escaped as a result of pet trade.

According to Gabriela Ferraro, the public information coordinator of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, there is a large breeding population of parrots and macaws in Miami-Dade county, and most of them were pets that were released.
END QUOTE
miamihurricane.com/2009/03/04/macaws-on-campus-awesome-but-noisy/