Monk Parakeet


Monk Parakeet/Quakers are native to South America. The first 8 pictures are feral Monk Parakeets that have colonised Tenerife, Canary islands.



The "drinking straw" is a twig for the nest. Monk Parakeets are the only type of parrot which builds a large nest of twigs, usually on tree branches. Some other parrots take small twigs, leaves or grasses into a nesting cavity for the interior nest but the Monk has an exterior construction of twigs rather than nesting cavity (see below). Sometimes several pairs of families (including a related helper) will nest in the same conglomeration of twigs, with different entrance holes.

Above are feral Monk Parakeets that live in Barcelona, Spain, by the port and beside the Sagrada Familia cathedral. They gather pine twigs to construct nests in pine trees. Monk Parakeets also have a small feral colony in the UK.



Link to Ring-necked parakeet	Monk Parakeet constructing nest	Link to Parakeet/Parrot index