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57-637: 2–4, see text Psittacus monachus (Boddaert, 1783) The monk parakeet ( Myiopsitta monachus ), also known as the monk parrot or Quaker parrot , is a species of true parrot in the family Psittacidae . It is a small, bright-green parrot with a greyish breast and greenish-yellow abdomen. Its average lifespan is approximately 15 years. It originates from the temperate to subtropical areas of South America . Self-sustaining feral populations occur in many places, mainly in areas of similar climate in North America and Europe . The monk parakeet

114-1247: A phylogenetic tree of the Neoptera (note that many non-subsocial groups are omitted): Embioptera (webspinners) Blattodea (cockroaches, inc. eusocial termites ) Mantodea (mantises) Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets) Dermaptera (earwigs) Zoraptera (angel insects) Thysanoptera (thrips) Membracidae (treehoppers, thorn bugs) Pentatomidae (shield bugs) Reduviidae (predatory bugs) Tingidae (lace bugs) Psocoptera (bark lice) Staphylinidae (rove beetles) Silphidae (carrion beetles) Passalidae (bessbugs) Scarabaeidae (scarabs) Tenebrionidae (leaf/flower beetles) Erotylidae (pleasing fungus beetles) Chrysomelidae (leaf beetles) Raphidioptera (snakeflies) Neuroptera (lacewings, alderflies, and allies) Antliophora (true flies, scorpionflies, fleas) Trichoptera (caddisflies) Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) Hymenoptera (sawflies, wasps, ants, bees) (apart from eusocial species) Solitary-but-social animals forage separately, but some individuals sleep in

171-453: A classification system for presociality in 1969, building on the earlier work of Suzanne Batra (who coined the words eusocial and quasisocial in 1966). Michener used these terms in his study of bees, but also saw a need for additional classifications: subsocial , communal , and semisocial . In his use of these words, he did not generalize beyond insects . E. O. Wilson later refined Batra's definition of quasisocial . Subsociality

228-609: A large number of birds, a range of "dialects" exists. If the founder population is small, however, a process similar to genetic drift may occur if prominent founders vocalize in an unusual "dialect", with this particular way of vocalizing becoming established in the resulting feral colony. For example, no fewer than three different "dialects" occur among the feral monk parrots of the Milford, Connecticut , metropolitan area. The species has in recent years expanded its range in Brazil, where

285-562: A meta-class: the parasocial . The two commonalities of parasocial taxa are the exhibition of parental investment, and socialization in a single, cooperative dwelling . Communal, quasisocial, and semisocial groups differ in a few ways. In a communal group, adults cohabit in a single nest site, but they each care for their own young. Quasisocial animals cohabit, but they also share the responsibilities of brood care . (This has been observed in some Hymenoptera and spider taxa, as well as in some other invertebrates .) A semisocial population has

342-534: A monk parakeet as an "unofficial" mascot in reference to the colony of the species that lives in its campus grounds. It is featured on the masthead of the student magazine. Several stories exist on the parakeets' introduction to the city, though their arrival is agreed to have been in the 1960s, following importation from Argentina. They thrive in Brooklyn and Queens due to their preference for nesting in utility poles; populations have not expanded to Manhattan because of

399-547: A nest. Their 1 - 11 white eggs are incubated continuously by the female, during which time the male will provide her with food. Unusually for a parrot, monk parakeet pairs occasionally have helper individuals, often grown offspring, which assist with feeding the young (see kin selection ). Monk parakeets have an average lifespan in their natural environment of 6 years. However, birds in captivity can reach 10 - 20 years. Monk parakeets probably have individual voice prints that allow them to recognize each other, independently from

456-432: A new monotypic superfamily Cacatuoidea created containing family Cacatuidae. The following classification is based on the most recent proposal, which in turn is based on all the relevant recent findings. Family Psittacidae , New World and African parrots Family Psittrichasiidae , Indian Ocean island parrots Family Psittaculidae , Asian and Australasian parrots, and lovebirds Social animal Sociality

513-531: A river or the sea. The monk parakeet, as an invasive species, has become a problem to local fauna such as pigeons and sparrows, but not yet so harmful to magpies . Parakeets have also caused trouble to agriculture near the cities. Spain has outlawed the possession, selling, breeding, and trafficking of monk parakeets since 2013. Madrid has the greatest population of monk parakeets in Europe, with 10,800 parakeets as of June 2015. A population estimate model projected

570-609: A scientific name, but in 1783, Dutch naturalist Pieter Boddaert coined the binomial name Psittacus monachus in his catalogue of the Planches Enluminées . As Buffon did not specify the origin of his specimen, in 1937 the American ornithologist James Peters assigned the type location as Montevideo , Uruguay. The monk parakeet is now placed in the genus Myiopsitta that was introduced by French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1854. The genus name combines

627-466: A self-sustaining population occurs in the downtown area of Rio de Janeiro . Since this population occurs far from the bird's original range in Brazil – it was only found in the far south and southwest – it is most probably a consequence of escapees from the pet trade . In Rio de Janeiro, the bird can be easily seen at the Aterro do Flamengo gardens – where it nests on palm trees and feeds on their fruit;

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684-565: A shorter lifespan and lower price than African grey parrots . Because of monk parakeets' listing as an agricultural pest and invasive species, the U.S. states of California, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, as well as Western Australia outlaw their sale and ownership. In Connecticut, one can own monk parakeets, but cannot sell or breed them. In New York and Virginia, one can own monk parakeets with banding and registration. In Rhode Island, an exotic animal possession permit

741-570: A single reproductive queen; they usually live in harsh or limiting environments. A study conducted by O'Riain and Faulkes in 2008 suggests that, due to regular inbreeding avoidance , mole rats sometimes outbreed and establish new colonies when resources are sufficient. Eusociality has arisen among some crustaceans that live in groups in a restricted area. Synalpheus regalis are snapping shrimp that rely on fortress defense. They live in groups of closely related individuals, amidst tropical reefs and sponges . Each group has one breeding female; she

798-512: A solitary but social behavior, that is, they live apart from their own species but interact with humans. This behavior has been observed in species including bottlenose dolphin , common dolphin , striped dolphin , beluga , Risso's dolphin , and orca . Notable individuals include Pelorus Jack (1888–1912), Tião (1994–1995), and Fungie (1983–2020). At least 32 solitary-sociable dolphins were recorded between 2008 and 2019. Sociobiologists place communal, quasisocial, and semisocial animals into

855-718: A successful introduced species . In 2012, a pair of monk parakeets attempted nesting in Watervliet, New York , about 240 km (150 mi) north of New York City, near Albany, New York . Prior to egg-laying, one bird was captured and the nest eventually was removed due to concerns that the nest built adjacent to an electrical transformer created a fire hazard. They have also found a home in Brooklyn , and Queens, New York , notably in Green-Wood Cemetery , after an accidental release at John F. Kennedy Airport in

912-483: Is eusociality . A eusocial taxon is one that exhibits overlapping adult generations , reproductive division of labor , cooperative care of young, and—in the most refined cases—a biological caste system . One characteristic of social animals is the relatively high degree of cognitive ability. Social mammal predators such as spotted hyena and lion have been found to be better than non-social predators such as leopard and tiger at solving problems that require

969-465: Is 29 cm (11 in) long on average, with a 48-centimetre (19 in) wingspan, and weighs 100 g (3.5 oz). Females tend to be 10–20% smaller, but can only be reliably sexed by DNA or feather testing. Monk parakeets display very subtle sexual dimorphism in the coloration of their crown and wing coverts, but this is not noticeable to the human eye. It has bright-green upperparts. The forehead and breast are pale gray with darker scalloping and

1026-436: Is a survival response to evolutionary pressures . For example, when a mother wasp stays near her larvae in the nest, parasites are less likely to eat the larvae. Biologists suspect that pressures from parasites and other predators selected this behavior in wasps of the family Vespidae . This wasp behaviour evidences the most fundamental characteristic of animal sociality: parental investment . Parental investment

1083-462: Is a taxon's most social behaviour, then members of those populations are said to be solitary but social . See Wilson (1971) for definitions and further sub-classes of varieties of subsociality. Choe & Crespi (1997) and Costa (2006) give readable overviews. Subsociality is widely distributed among the winged insects, and has evolved independently many times. Insect groups that contain at least some subsocial species are shown in bold italics on

1140-635: Is alive at the same time, and that the older generations also care for the newest offspring. Eusocial societies have overlapping adult generations, cooperative care of young, and division of reproductive labor. When organisms in a species are born with physical characteristics specific to a caste which never changes throughout their lives, this exemplifies the highest acknowledged degree of sociality. Eusociality has evolved in several orders of insects. Common examples of eusociality are from Hymenoptera ( ants , bees , sawflies , and wasps) and Blattodea (infraorder Isoptera , termites), but some Coleoptera (such as

1197-471: Is any expenditure of resources (time, energy, social capital ) to benefit one's offspring . Parental investment detracts from a parent's capacity to invest in future reproduction and aid to kin (including other offspring). An animal that cares for its young but shows no other sociality traits is said to be subsocial . An animal that exhibits a high degree of sociality is called a social animal . The highest degree of sociality recognized by sociobiologists

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1254-409: Is common in the animal kingdom. In subsocial taxa , parents care for their young for some length of time. Even if the period of care is very short, the animal is still described as subsocial. If adult animals associate with other adults, they are not called subsocial, but are ranked in some other classification according to their social behaviours. If occasionally associating or nesting with other adults

1311-607: Is limited. Feral populations have been recorded in several regions of Europe: These populations are not equally large. It is estimated that monk parakeets in Spain account for more than 80% of Europe's feral population. Monk parakeet populations have previously been reported in Denmark , Germany , Austria , and Czechia , but failed to establish; the relatively colder weather in these countries likely contributes to these failed invasions. Invasive populations also exist elsewhere in

1368-544: Is not uncommon, however, for pairs or individuals to nest outside of colonies, especially during the breeding season. In the wild, the colonies can become quite large, with pairs occupying separate "apartments" in composite nests that can reach the size of a small automobile . These nests can attract many other tenants, including some which cohabit with the monk parakeets. These tenants include many other birds, such as pigeons , sparrows , American kestrels , and yellow-billed teal , but mammals like red squirrels may also occupy

1425-644: Is required for ownership. In Ohio, owning one is legal if the bird's flight feathers are clipped or it is incapable of free flight. True parrot Psittacidae Psittrichasiidae Psittaculidae The true parrots are about 350 species of hook-billed, mostly herbivorous birds forming the superfamily Psittacoidea , one of the three superfamilies in the biological order Psittaciformes (parrots). True parrots are widespread, with species in Mexico , Central and South America , sub-Saharan Africa , India , Southeast Asia , Australia , and eastwards across

1482-603: The Ancient Greek mus, muos meaning "mouse" and the Neo-Latin psitta meaning "parrot", alluding to the mouse-grey face and underparts. The specific epithet monachus is Late Latin for a "monk". The monk parakeet is one of two species in the genus Myiopsitta , the other being the cliff parakeet ( Myiopsitta luchsi ). The two parakeets were previously considered to be a single species. Due to morphological and behavioral differences, and geographical dissimilarities,

1539-684: The Ciudad Universitaria ( Complutense University campus) and Casa de Campo park. They are a common sight in Barcelona parks, often as numerous as pigeons. They form substantial colonies in Parc de la Ciutadella , Parc de la Barceloneta , and in smaller city parks such as Jardins Josep Trueta in Poble Nou, with a colony as far north as Empuriabrava . They are more frequent in watered urban parks with grass areas and palm trees, near to

1596-798: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (see IUCN Red List of birds), as well as national and nongovernmental organizations. Trade in birds and other wild animals is governed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Nearly all parrots are listed on CITES appendices, trade limited or prohibited. Trapping wild parrots for the pet trade , hunting , habitat loss , and competition from invasive species have diminished wild populations, with parrots being subjected to more exploitation than any other group of birds. Of

1653-479: The Pacific Ocean as far as Polynesia . The true parrots include many of the familiar parrots including macaws , conures , lorikeets , eclectus , Amazon parrots , grey parrot , and budgerigar . Most true parrots are colourful and flighted, with a few notable exceptions. True parrots have a beak with a characteristic curved shape, the jaw with a mobility slightly higher than where it connects with

1710-399: The 1960s. The grounds crew initially tried to destroy the nests at the entrance gate, but no longer do so because the presence of the parrots has reduced the number of pigeons nesting within it. The management's decision was based on a comparative chemical analysis of pigeon feces (which destroy brownstone structures) and monk parakeet feces (which have no ill effect). Brooklyn College has

1767-481: The Psittacidae are primarily seed eaters. Some variation is seen in the diet of individual species, with fruits, nuts, leaves, and even insects and other animal prey being taken on occasion by some species. The lorikeets are predominantly nectar feeders; many other parrots drink nectar, as well. Most Psittacidae are cavity-nesting birds which form monogamous pair bonds. The true parrots are distributed throughout

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1824-644: The Rio birds seem to favor nesting amid the leaves of coconut palm trees, and in the vicinity of the neighboring domestic flight terminal, the Santos Dumont Airport and in the gardens of Quinta da Boa Vista , where communal nests roughly 1 m in diameter have been seen. In Santa Catarina State , probable escapees have been reported on occasion for quite some time, and a feral population seems to have established itself in Florianópolis early in

1881-466: The U.K., France , and the Netherlands have also similarly declined into extirpation. Monk parakeets are highly intelligent, social birds. Those kept as pets routinely develop vocabularies of scores of words and phrases. Due to this early speaking ability, it is overtaking the cockatiel as the favorite bird to teach to talk. Another contributing factor to growing popularity is that this bird has

1938-726: The animals removed from the wild to be sold, very few survive during capture and transport, and those that do often die from poor conditions of captivity, poor diet, and stress. Measures taken to conserve the habitats of some high-profile charismatic species have also protected many of the less charismatic species living in the same ecosystems . About 18 species of parrots have gone extinct since 1500 (see List of extinct birds#Psittaciformes ), nearly all in superfamily Psittacoidea. Agapornithinae Loriinae Platycercinae Psittacellinae Psittaculinae Psittrichasinae Coracopsinae Arinae Psittacinae Cacatuoidea Strigopoidea The parrot family Psittacidae (along with

1995-638: The beetle Austroplatypus incompertus ), Hemiptera (bugs such as Pemphigus spyrothecae ), and Thysanoptera (thrips) are described as eusocial. Eusocial species that lack this criterion of morphological caste differentiation are said to be primitively eusocial . Two potential examples of primitively eusocial mammals are the naked mole-rat and the Damaraland mole-rat ( Heterocephalus glaber and Fukomys damarensis , respectively). Both species are diploid and highly inbred , and they aid in raising their siblings and relatives, all of whom are born from

2052-528: The borough's underground wiring. The population in Chicago is estimated to be at 1,000 birds, with healthy colonies located in several of the city's parks. Parrot origin theories include a University of Chicago experiment gone awry, an overturned truck on its way to a pet store, escaped birds from a holding pen at O'Hare Airport or released / escaped pets. According to University of Chicago ornithologist Dr. Stephen Pruett-Jones, "They got here through

2109-593: The city, especially by bird watchers, and were the subject of a 2012 ornithological study. In Spain, monk parakeets can be seen in Madrid , Barcelona , Cadiz , Seville , Torremolinos , Málaga , Nerja, Valencia , Tarragona , Roquetas de Mar ( Andalusia ), Zaragoza , the Canary Islands , and Majorca in the Balearic Islands . They were first seen around 1975. In Madrid, they especially frequent

2166-511: The cliff parakeet are the only two parrot species outside some members of the African lovebirds ( Agapornis sp.) that build nests . Monk and cliff parakeets are unique among even nesting parrots for their construction of large, external nests in trees or manmade structures instead of using tree cavities. The monk parrot is a gregarious species which often breeds colonially, building a single large nest with separate entrances for each pair. It

2223-605: The cliff parakeet has been elevated to species status. The cliff parakeet's altitudinal range apparently does not overlap, so is thus entirely, but just barely, allopatric . The American Ornithological Society has deferred recognizing the cliff parakeet as distinct "because of insufficient published data". Three subspecies are recognized: The subspecies' ranges meet in the general area of Paraguay, and there they are insufficiently delimited. The distinctness and delimitation of M. m. calita and M. m. cotorra especially require further study. The nominate subspecies of this parrot

2280-568: The family Cacatuidae comprising the order Psittaciformes) was traditionally considered to contain two subfamilies , the Psittacinae (typical parrots and allies) and the Loriinae ( lories and lorikeets ). However, the tree of the parrot family now has been reorganized under the superfamily Psittacoidea: family Psittacidae has been split into three families, tribes Strigopini and Nestorini split out and placed under superfamily Strigopoidea and

2337-426: The features of communal and quasisocial populations, but they also have a biological caste system that delegates labor according to whether or not an individual is able to reproduce. Beyond parasociality is eusociality. Eusocial insect societies have all the characteristics of a semisocial one, except overlapping generations of adults cohabit and share in the care of young. This means that more than one adult generation

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2394-422: The few temperate-zone parrots, the monk parakeet is able to survive cold climates (partly because they build communal nests about heat-producing electrical equipment atop utility poles), and colonies exist as far north as New York City , Chicago , and Portland, Oregon . Edgewater, New Jersey has had a colony since 1980. This hardiness makes this species second only to the rose-ringed parakeet among parrots as

2451-585: The first decade of the 21st century when birds were observed feeding right next to the highway in the Rio Vermelho-Vargem Grande area. The monk parakeet was first recorded in Mexico City between 1994 - 1995. As of 2015, monk parakeets have been reported in 97 Mexican cities, and in all regions of the country. Established nesting populations exist in Mexico City and Oaxaca. A small but growing population has also been established in

2508-670: The head and breast feathers of monk parakeets are dyed yellow to deceive uninformed buyers, mimicking the endangered yellow-headed amazon . Thousands of monk parakeets were imported to the United States between the 1960s and the 1980s as pets. Many escaped or were intentionally released, and populations were allowed to proliferate. By the early 1970s, M. monachus was established in seven states, and by 1995, it had spread to eight more. In Florida alone, estimates range from 150,000 to 500,000. Austin , Dallas , and Houston, Texas , also have thriving monk parakeet populations. As one of

2565-446: The pet trade and the pet trade really peaked in the mid- to late 1960s." The first documented parrot nest in Chicago dates to 1973. The species continues to thrive despite several unusually harsh winters that occurred during the 1980s and in 2014. Various attempts to remove them were made over the years, most of which were resisted by a group of Hyde Park residents, including Mayor Harold Washington . The birds are generally welcomed in

2622-723: The population of monk parakeets in Barcelona to be 5277 in 2015. Between 2013 and 2021, the monk parakeet population in Seville increased from 1200 to 6300 individuals. In Greece, monk parakeets have established breeding colonies in the National Garden, Athens . The United Kingdom population in 2011 is believed to be around 150, in the Home Counties region. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced plans in 2011 to control them, countering

2679-507: The rest of the underparts are very light-green to yellow. The remiges are dark blue, and the tail is long and tapering. The bill is orange. The call is a loud and throaty chape(-yee) or quak quaki quak-wi quarr , and screeches skveet . Domestic breeds in colors other than the natural plumage have been produced. These include birds with white, blue, and yellow in place of green. As such coloration provides less camouflage, feral birds are usually of wild-type coloration. The monk parakeet and

2736-517: The same location or share nests. The home ranges of females usually overlap, whereas those of males do not. Males usually do not associate with other males, and male offspring are usually evicted upon maturity. However, this is opposite among cassowaries , for example. Among primates , this form of social organization is most common among the nocturnal strepsirrhine species and tarsiers . Solitary-but-social species include mouse lemurs , lorises , and orangutans . Some individual cetaceans adopt

2793-413: The skull, and a generally upright position. They also have a large cranial capacity and are one of the most intelligent bird groups. They are good fliers and skillful climbers on branches of trees. Some species can imitate the human voice and other sounds, although they do not have vocal cords — instead possessing a vocal organ at the base of the trachea known as the syrinx . Like most parrots,

2850-429: The southern part of the city of Puebla , in the surroundings of the city's aviary, which they are known to visit frequently, and where they can often be seen clinging to the outer side of its mesh walls. Following a 2008 ban on the capture and sale of native parrot species, the legal pet market pivoted to the sale of monk parakeets, which likely increased the number of escapees and subsequent feral populations. Sometimes,

2907-595: The spread of feral populations; nest removal is a common practice in the United States, and the United Kingdom's Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is planning to remove monk parakeet colonies, citing threats to infrastructure and potential crop damage. Feral populations are often descended from very small founder populations. Being as social and intelligent as they are, monk parakeets develop some cultural traditions , namely vocal dialects that differ between groups. In populations descended from

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2964-565: The threat to infrastructure, crops, and native British wildlife by trapping and rehoming, removing nests, and shooting when necessary. Groups of monk parakeets can be found in the Belgian capital city Brussels and its surrounding areas. They have been living in the wild at least since the 1970s. Populations in Germany , Czech Republic , Austria , and Denmark were once reported, but these seem to have been extirpated . Other populations in

3021-684: The tropical and subtropical regions of the world, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere , covering many different habitats , from the humid tropical forests to deserts in Australia , India , Southeast Asia , sub-Saharan Africa , Central and South America , and two species, one extinct (the Carolina parakeet ), formerly in the United States. However, the larger populations are native to Australasia , South America , and Central America . Many species are classified as threatened by

3078-464: The use of innovation. Solitary animals such as the jaguar do not associate except for courtship and mating . If an animal taxon shows a degree of sociality beyond courtship and mating, but lacks any of the characteristics of eusociality, it is said to be presocial . Although presocial species are much more common than eusocial species, eusocial species have disproportionately large populations. The entomologist Charles D. Michener published

3135-563: The used call type. In its native range, the monk parakeet is very common. In Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, monk parakeets are regarded as major agricultural pests (as noted by Charles Darwin , among others). Their population explosion in South American rural areas seems to be associated with the expansion of eucalyptus forestry for paper pulp production, which offers the bird the opportunity to build protected nests in artificial forests where ecological competition from other species

3192-450: The world: Monk parakeets have previously escaped captivity in Japan , but failed to establish sustainable populations. As it is an open-woodlands species, it adapts readily to urban areas. In both their native South America, as well as areas where they have been introduced, monk parakeets are among the most destructive birds for crops. Several countries have implemented measures to control

3249-424: Was described by French polymath Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon , in 1780 in his Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux . The bird was also illustrated in a hand-coloured plate engraved by François-Nicolas Martinet in the Planches Enluminées D'Histoire Naturelle , which was produced under the supervision of Edme-Louis Daubenton to accompany Buffon's text. Neither the plate caption nor Buffon's description included

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