The Feral Parrots of Whitestone
Monk Parrot Colony in Queens
Legends say …
… that a crate of parrots from South America got lost in La Guardia Airport sometime in the 90’s and that these little guys migrated across the Flushing Bay and into Whitestone. The Monk Parrots took up residence in the power transformers along residential streets, building elaborate nests for their close knit colonies. On some blocks there are three or four huge nests packed with parrots, all squawking like ornery old men. Every year Con-Edison comes and clears the nests out, and every year the parrots rebuild on the next block. The heat from the transformers keeps their nests warm through the chill of the New York City winter.
Just another example of hard working immigrants trying to make their way in the wilds of Queens. I went out one spring to document my loud, colorful and very territorial neighbors…
