Okay, let me tell you about chasing those noisy green monsters around New York City. Heard the legends, right? Wild parrots in the concrete jungle? Sounded bonkers to me too. But curiosity got the better of me, so I grabbed my beat-up camera and decided to hunt them down for myself.
The Early Bird Gets the Squawker
First things first, research. Everyone online was shouting about different spots. Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn kept popping up, loud and clear. Grabbed my notebook, packed some water (forgot the snacks, classic me), and hopped on the train just after dawn last Tuesday. Figured the parrots wouldn’t sleep in.
Got to the main entrance. Big place, kinda spooky and beautiful all at once. Instead of wandering like a lost soul, I headed straight for the high points, near the famous hill with the battle monument thingy. People said that’s where they roost. Found a decent bench near some big old trees and just… waited. Listened hard.
- Noise is your friend: Seriously. Forget looking first, listen. That constant, grating, kinda annoying chatter? Way louder than pigeons or sparrows. Like a gang arguing.
- Look up, way up: Staring into the treetops until your neck cramps? Welcome to parrot spotting. They hang out high, especially near tall trees like oaks or sycamores. I almost gave myself whiplash scanning the branches.
Sat for like thirty minutes. Heard sirens, car horns, and about a million pigeons cooing. Then… bam! That unmistakable, screechy, mechanical-sounding squawk cut through the city noise. Different animal entirely. My head snapped around, and there they were! A small group of maybe five bright green parrots, flashing brilliant red and blue on their heads as they flapped clumsily between branches way overhead. Holy buckets of cement, they were real!
Becoming a Parrot Detective
Got excited, snapped a bunch of blurry pics (that camera needs an upgrade, badly). Watched them. They weren’t shy, just busy. They seemed obsessed with breaking bits off tree branches, especially dead twigs. Tugging, snapping, carrying them away. Later read this is classic behavior – they’re building their crazy huge stick nests. Looked like a construction site up there!
Another tip I learned right then? Where there’s one flock, another might be nearby. Followed the noise (carefully, respect the place, it is a cemetery) towards the Gothic arches near the entrance lake. Sure enough, another group! Bigger this time, maybe ten or more. They were perched on antenna towers across the street too. Guess they like the high vantage points and the dense old trees for food and nest materials.
Other Spots People Yell About
Based on chatting with other weirdos like me staring into the sky:
- Pelham Bay Park (The Bronx): Heard the parrots near Bartow-Pell Mansion are common, especially in the woods around there. Also, check the Orchard Beach parking lot tree lines early morning.
- Queens (Flushing): Legends of nests near some of the big apartment buildings and parks up that way. Haven’t personally confirmed this one yet.
What I Learned (The Hard Way)
Listen. Seriously, just stop and listen. Their noise is unique. Once you hear it, you won’t mistake it. They love:
- Roosting communally in tall trees, especially evergreens.
- Building massive nests – so watch for stick-gathering.
- Power lines and cell towers seem to be favorite hangouts.
They’re loud, messy, and totally out of place. But seeing those flashes of tropical green against the brick and grey sky? Man, it’s pure NYC magic. Almost makes the neck pain worth it. Give it a shot! Go early, listen up, look high. And maybe remember those snacks I forgot.
