Study: Escaped Pet Parrots Now Breeding, Thriving In Wild Across 23 States

When a pet parrot flies away, many owners fear their escape will spell the end for the beloved bird, believing it won’t be able to make it in the wild. But it turns out not only are parrots surviving, they’re thriving. A new study by researchers at the University of Chicago found that 56 species of parrot — none of which are native to the United States — have been spotted in the wild in 43 states. And incredibly, of those species, nearly half have reportedly been breeding in 23 states.

Reports of parrot species spotted living free of captivity and breeding in the U.S. have been occurring for years. Monk parakeets were known to live and breed in a colony in Chicago’s own Hyde Park neighborhood in the 1960s, after a pet bird craze led to the import of thousands from South America. Many escaped their homes or were released by their owners into the concrete jungle, eventually breeding in at least 10 states by 1968.

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