Family African and New World Parrots
Most parrots and parakeets nest in holes in trees, but this South American native builds bulky stick nests among the branches, both for raising young and for sleeping in at night. Many North American cities now have local colonies of Monk Parakeets, established by birds escaped from captivity. Despite some dire predictions in the past, these noisy but colorful birds have not yet spread to take over the countryside.

Illustration © David Allen Sibley.
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Text © Kenn Kaufman, adapted from
Lives of North American Birds

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Songs and Calls

Loud, harsh, screeching eeeh-eeeh.
Audio © Lang Elliott, Bob McGuire, Kevin Colver, Martyn Stewart and others.
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