So, you hear about these parrots in Brooklyn, right? Sounds a bit like an urban legend at first. I mean, actual green parrots, just chilling in New York City. I had to see this for myself. It wasn’t like I had a burning scientific question or anything, more like I was just plain curious and, frankly, had a bit of time on my hands one week.
My grand plan started with some, uh, intense research. Which really meant me typing “brooklyn parrots where to find” into my phone while trying not to spill coffee on myself. A few spots kept popping up – Green-Wood Cemetery was a big one, some parts of Flatbush, even mentions of places near the Belt Parkway. Looked like these birds weren’t exactly hiding, but they weren’t sitting on every street corner either.
So, I picked a day. Weather wasn’t amazing, a bit gray, you know how it gets. But I figured, parrots probably don’t care too much about that. I grabbed my old pair of binoculars – the ones where one side is a bit blurrier than the other, real professional stuff – and headed out. First stop: Green-Wood. Figured a giant, old cemetery would be a good bet. Lots of trees, relatively quiet, seemed like parrot paradise.
I walked for what felt like miles in there. It’s a beautiful place, don’t get me wrong. So much history, some incredible old monuments. Saw plenty of squirrels, the usual city birds, but no parrots. Started to think this whole thing was a bust. Maybe they all flew south for the day, who knows? I was about ready to call it quits, grab a slice of pizza and forget the whole parrot adventure.
Then, as I was heading towards an exit, I heard this squawking. Not your average pigeon coo, this was louder, a bit abrasive, honestly. And there they were! A whole bunch of them, monk parakeets, someone later told me. Bright green, zipping between branches, and working on these absolutely massive nests. Looked like a giant ball of twigs just stuck high up in a tree. It was pretty chaotic, a lot of flapping and screeching.
I just stood there for a good while, watching them. They were so out of place, yet they seemed to own the place. Building these crazy communal homes, making a racket. It wasn’t like seeing a bird in a cage, or even in a neat little birdhouse. This was raw, a bit messy, but definitely alive. They didn’t care I was there, just went about their business.
Finding them wasn’t easy, not like following a map to a landmark. It was more about patience, a bit of luck, and listening out for that distinct sound. It reminded me a bit of trying to get a new project off the ground back in the day – you have an idea, you poke around, you hit a few dead ends, and then, if you stick with it, sometimes you find what you’re looking for, or something close enough.
So, yeah, that was my day with the Brooklyn parrots. Didn’t solve any great mysteries of the universe, but I saw them. These little green immigrants, making a go of it in the big city. Kind of cool, when you think about it. Just another one of those weird, unexpected things you stumble upon if you actually go looking.
