It’s late February, 55 degrees outside, and there are parrots all about. Where am I?
Yes, welcome to Edgewater, NJ, home to a growing colony of feral Monk Parakeets. Also known as Quaker Parrots, these green parrots arrived in Edgewater around 1980 and have become prominent residents. How they came to Edgewater is unknown, but there are a number of theories including a jailbreak from damaged crates at JFK in the 1960. Certainly, when you consider the tri-state area, there are a number of colonies sprinkled around including a colony in Brooklyn and recent reports in Harlem. So, perhaps JFK is the original source. Regardless, the Monk Parakeet is thriving in Edgewater.
Whether you are near the intersection of River Road and Route 5, where there are a number of nests directly overhead, or further north in Veteran’s Park, these green parrots give themselves away with their chatter. You may not always see them, but you can hear them all around town. Monk Parakeets can often be seen careening from tree to tree at breakneck speed.
Our friends at the local electric company have (understandably) taken exception to our green feathered friends building their nests, which are formed from twigs and can easily be 4 feet long, on power poles and transformers. So, the best place to observe the Edgewater colony is at this cache cords. And you’ll hear them before you even need to look up to see them. The trees just west of the cache are quite simply loaded with nests. Across the street above the park, you can see a number of nests in the trees as well. So relax, do a little caching, and observe the Monk Parakeet.