They're Cute But...

The sign should probably read UnWelcome!

These little green cuties are Monk Parakeets, aka Quaker Parrots. They were originally from Argentina and surrounding countries in South America. They came to the U.S. in the late 1960's and over the years individuals escaped captivity or were released into the wild. They have survived and thrived! The largest populations of Monks are found in Texas and Florida.

They are the only parrot that uses sticks to build nests instead of nesting in tree cavities and they build Huge communal nests. These nests, some the size of a car, retain water after a rain and too often
short-circuit power transformers causing power outages!

Monk Parakeets are classed as an Invasive Species! But they are, still...very cute!