Wild Monk parekeets in Europe? You know Monk parakeets or Quaker parrots as lovely pet birds and you
also know they live in the wild in South America. But in this video I’m going to show you
the wild Monk parakeets of Brussels, Belgium.
Welcome to Discover PARROTS! My name is Florin and as I’m learning about parrots from the best available sources I’m also sharing my experience with
other parrot lovers.
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My next video will be about the Alexandrine parakeets living wild in Brussels, Belgium.
This is the place, that is the parrot colony. That’s two of them in the nest.
Like Rose-ringed parakeets, Monk parakeets have been introduced by mistake from escaped pet birds.
There are a few places in Brussels where they live free in their colonies.
I’m walking under trees with lots of parrots. I hope you can hear the noise they’re making.
And here’s the first one: a wild Monk parakeet. It’s a beauty!
There are larger nests around here. There used to be a metal platform.
But the local Council probably brought it down. Now, they nest naturally in trees.
TThis one is pretty large!
Monk parakeets are the only species of parrot to build such nests. They are grouped together in a community,
almost like appartments in a building.
Now I’m going to show you the nest nearest to the ground. A pretty large nest!
Very close to the ground, right here above me. You can see two nest entrances.
As new couples move in and build new nests adding them to the structure, it becomes too heavy to be sustained by the branch,
the branch breaks and the structure falls on the ground.
That’s when the parakeets will start building a new structure, a new colony.
Work never stops here. Parrots always bring new twigs, they fit them
into the structure, they remove some, they modify… They work all day.
Half of the locals love them, half hate them, only because of the noise.
I guess these two are from the half that loves them.
Monk parakeets are often seen in pairs. They preen each other, they spend time with each other. They are rarely alone.
Monk parakeets are good climbers. Climbing allows them to find the best food available in the tree canopy.
You see this one moving right now.
Flying is also important, especially when you have to carry a piece of branch for your nest. Now they’ve landed on the ground!
Monk parakeets are one of those species of parrot that likes to go on the ground.
To walk and to run on the ground, finding food, perhaps some seeds, but often just grass!
If you have a pet Monk parakeet, or even a Budgie or a Cockatiel or other bird that likes to go on the ground,
it’s best to give them the chance to walk on the floor or at least on the bottom of the cage.
There’s a lot of movement in the trees,
with the parakeets and the pigeons moving around, flying and screaming.
But there are also quieter areas, where birds work on their nests or just take a nap.
All parrots need a good night’s sleep, but also during the day they have periods of napping or just resting quietly
so they need this both in captivity and in the wild.
That’s all! Thank you very much for watching and plese don’t forget to subscribe.
Please leave your comments below so I can include them in my follow-up video.
I’m going to talk about the wild behaviour observed today and how you can improve your life with your pet parrot at home.
So I’ll see you at my next video about the wild Alexandrine parakeets in Brussels. Bye-bye!