Longboat Key, off Sarasota, Florida, boasts a wide variety of resident and migrant birds. The great majority are aquatic species such as pelicans, cormorants, waders, shorebirds and ospreys. Others include red-bellied woodpeckers, gray kingbirds, belted kingfishers and a mix of migrant warblers. In recent decades, collared doves and black-hooded parakeets have joined the list.
Officially known as Nanday conures, black-hooded parakeets are native to eastern South America, from Brazil to Argentina. Like other exotic species found in the U.S., they were imported for sale to zoos, collectors and private individuals and either escaped or were released into the wild. A study conducted by the University of Florida concluded that at least 14 species of parrots and parakeets now inhabit various parts of the Sunshine State; most are found in the Miami area. Black-hooded parakeets turned up in the Tampa Bay region over the past decade while populations of monk parakeets are now scattered across the U.S. and southern Canada, demonstrating the adaptability of that particular species. As one might expect, the greatest variety of invasive parrots and parakeets are found in Florida and Southern California where mild weather and a diversity of vegetation have favored their survival.
The Nanday conures on Longboat Key, like most of their cousins, are gregarious birds that move about in noisy flocks and nest in colonies. Consuming a wide variety of plant materials, including nuts, seeds, buds and flower petals, these parakeets are steadily extending their range and their impact on the welfare of native birds and on the natural ecosystems of South Florida has yet to be determined.
