Jan 15, 2009 6:22 am US/Eastern
Wild Parrots Lay Claim To Brooklyn Neighborhood
As Many As 50 Of The Exotic Birds Appear To Be Thriving On Light Poles, Rooftops Despite Frigid Temperatures
Lawmaker Avella Working To Protect Argentinean Beauties
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Wild parrots have taken over rooftops in one Brooklyn neighborhood. Despite the frigid temperatures, the Argentinean birds appear to be flourishing and now have the help of local lawmakers.
CBS
You could say this cold weather is "for the birds."
Colonies of wild parrots have taken up nest in Brooklyn, braving the cold weather. Over the years, they've been a target of poachers. Now, a local politician has them in his sights as well.
Meet the Brooklyn parrots. Urban legend has it that they are escapees from a shipping container that arrived at Kennedy Airport from Argentina in the 1960s.
"First time I saw them I was shocked out of my mind," resident Steve Ausbery said.
Through the years they've spread their wings and become hearty, accomplished city dwellers building large, multi-unit nests on light and utility poles.
"They really are amazing." little Gabrial Canfield said.
There have been parrot sightings all over the city, but Brooklyn is the home to the vast majority. This community of about 50 feathered friends resides atop light poles on this Brooklyn College athletic field.
"That's the first time I put my head up there to see what's going on," resident Franklin Paul said.
And while they peacefully co exist with neighbors of all varieties, parrots have been the target of poachers who capture them intent on selling them to pet stores.
For Consolidated Edison, it's a more serious problem.
"Our concern isn't the birds, it's the nests," Con Ed's Mike Cleninden said. "The nests cause fires and power outages to our customers."
Enter Queens Councilman Tony Avella with a proposed resolution that would outlaw the parrots' capture and relocate the endangered ones.
"While we are doing all of the other stuff, working on the budget, reduce unemployment, while we are doing all that we still need to do other things about how to treat our fellow neighbors and the animals on this planet," Avella said.
For the last four years Steve Baldwin has been the self proclaimed "parrot man," maintaining a Web site, brooklynparrots.com, and offering tours and a chronicle of these emerald-winged wonders.
Parrots have no form of protection. They are classified like pigeons or starlings and sparrows, urban birds.
"I think the idea is to do what we can do," Baldwin said. "I think that the parrots do add something to the neighborhood. It's not something you can put a price on but I think they add value in certain neighborhoods. I think we should give them a little bit of respect."
So how do they survive in the cold?
Nesting on the light poles keeps them close to a heat source, and there are portions of their native Argentina where temperatures do fall below freezing.
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