Last I saw them at Seward Park we were down to 3 Aratinga mitrata -
Mitred Conures (or one of 2 look-a-like species - Wagleri or ?). The
birds are all green with a pointed tail and a red forehead and something
like 14" long. About 35 years ago, if I remember correctly, we had a
flock of around 30 birds that frequented Seward, especially in the
summer (heading somewhere near north Seattle in the winter). If they
have reproduced at all, it has only been rarely. There was a report or
2 of someone thinking there had been a nestling or fledgling. As some
of you know birds in the Psittacidae, the Parrot Family, live relatively
long lives. They are among our most intelligent birds and I presume the
long lives are to pass on information to the flock. The birds we still
see today, could easily be original members of the flock I first saw
maybe 35 years ago.

-Stewart.

Stewart Wechsler

Sharing Knowledge and Enthusiasm for Plant, Animal and Fungi and the
mutually supportive local communities that we humans share with them

Nature walks and adventures for all ages and levels:
child to grandchild, novice to old professor

West Seattle

206 932-7225

On 11:59 AM, Mark Oberle wrote:
>
>
> Charlotte,
> They might have been Mitred Conures (
>
> Aratinga mitrata)
>
> that have been hanging around Seattle for a few years. Here is a
> recording I made of them 4 years ago:
> http://www.mindspring.com/~oberle/ScFrontParakeetMWO2007-11WA05-28--c5650--5940CUTfilter.mp3
>
> ( recorded with a Telinga 4 mic and DAT recorder on 5/28/07 at Seward
> Park, Seattle).
>
> By the way, for anyone interested we still have space in our audio
> recording workshop at UW the weekend of May 13:
> http://naturesound.org/?page_id=55
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> From: "Byers" <byers345 at comcast.net>
> To: <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
> Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:58:22 -0800
> Subject: [Tweeters] parrots in NE Seattle
>
> Hi Tweeters,
> It's a truism that you never know what you're going to see
> next in, or from your yard. About 6 minutes ago I stepped outside my
> house, heard this weird squawking noise and then observed 3 Rock
> Dove-sized birds flying rapidly, squawking as they flew, over my
> house. They were definitely some parrot-type bird, with tails almost
> as long as their bodies and rapid downward wingbeats. Any ideas what
> kind of parrot I might have seen? Did anyone lose a trio of pets?
> Happy birding! Charlotte Byers, Seattle
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Mark Oberle
> Seattle, WA
> oberle at mindspring.com
> -