Notes about your surroundings

Polly’s Gone Wild--Wondering who let that darn noisy squawker out of its cage at 4 in the morning? Or asking why parakeets have overtaken the local magnolia tree? The Natural History Museum wants to know too.

Very little is known about the flocks of feral parrots and parakeets seen in Southern California’s local parks and back yards. To address this lack of information, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County is asking Orange County residents to stop and count the parrots.

Due to several factors, including a variety of tropical trees offering nesting sites and an increase in the number of imported birds bred for captivity, wild parrot and parakeet populations have exploded.

The museum’s census will compile information on the birds, including type of parrot or parakeet, nest site locations, population sizes and habitat requirements. After consolidating information, naturalists will publish data on Southern California’s parrot population.

To participate, residents are asked to record every time a wild parrot or parakeet is sighted. Upon spotting the bird, make a note of the location, date and time. The species and how many birds were counted at the location should also be noted.

Researchers are also interested in the activities of birds, such as where the birds were perched and what kind of food they were observed eating.

A data sheet with the requested information is available for anyone wanting to participate in the parrot count.

Participants do not have to be experienced birders. However, binoculars and a bird book with color illustrations would be helpful tools to keep on hand during the survey.

For more information, or to receive a data sheet, please write: Kimball L. Garrett, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, Ca, 90007.