Parrots in California?! (1 Viewer)

[pbgrebe]

No, this photo of a pair of Black-hooded parakeets (aka Nanday parakeet/conure—Aratinga nenday) perched in a Eucalyptus tree wasn’t taken in Brazil or Australia. Instead, it was taken in Zuma Canyon in southern California where an introduced feral population of this South American avian species has taken hold (as it has done in a number of other scattered locations in the U.S.). So, what is pictured here is an introduced non-native bird species perched on an introduced non-native tree species. This is but one example of a global problem created by our species: the introduction of non-native species of all kinds (which, of course, besides animals also includes plants, insects and various types of parasites) across the planet. Patrons of this website are probably well aware of how serious this problem has become for many native species and ecosystems and the fact that it is one of the major drivers of the current human-caused mass extinction crisis. The pet trade (which ultimately is the responsible agent for the introduction of the bird species pictured here) is a significant contributor to this problem and is in serious need of effective regulation and oversight on a global scale.

 

[THE_FERN]

Yeah but it looks cute...