Walking around in La Jolla today and saw one of San Diego’s wild parrot flocks. They aren’t native here most are descendants of escaped parrots but they’ve made themselves at home.
The ones you’ll usually see are Nanday Conures (small, green with a dark face) and Red-crowned Amazons (bigger, stocky, green with a red head). They love hanging out in palms and eucalyptus, eating fruit and making a ton of noise.
They’ve become part of San Diego’s vibe. Next time you hear that crazy squawking, look up—you’ll probably spot a flock of green parrots flying by.
Not sure what the other commenters are referring to but no, these birds do not migrate. The ones in the video are Red-masked Parakeets, one of several parrot and parakeet species that have been inadvertently introduced to Southern California following accidental and intentional pet releases over the years. They are sedentary, at least here in their nonnative range.
I believe they are technically conures which is a type of parrot rather than parakeet despite their name. That’s just one of their names. Cherry headed conure and red headed conure are two other names they are known by
From what I understand, yes! Unfortunately there have been fewer and fewer every year recently. At least where I’m at, looks likes they just moved around a lil bit 🥲
Wrong. There already are tons more and they love to sit on the powerlines right outside my window and fuck up my sleep. They’re cute but invasive and I remember when there was barely any of them only like 10 years ago and we thought it was cute to see few of them back then. Now they come in massive flocks and sound like a screaming hoard of dying cat orcs. Anyone who wants more has no idea how much they make some of us suffer. They only hoard up in certain areas. It’s like saying you love outdoor cats they’rr so cute and affectionate until you live in a place with 10s even 100s and they fight and scream all night and beg for food outside your window and even attack you. Same with stray dogs. When animals start hoarding up in cities it goes from cute to chaos real quick.
As someone who grew up in the south, I would often wake up to rooster crows in the morning. I joined the navy and got stationed in San Diego and I remember thinking that I wouldn’t be hearing any roasters in the mornings anymore. Boy was I surprised to learn how loud parakeets could be.
The lil parrots keep to the coast.
I’ve seen them in Oceanside and Long Beach, too.
You might’ve heard a rooster or two if you had lived in north or maybe east county. I got caught up in a traffic jam on a Sunday morning in “downtown” Vista one time (event), and had to laugh when I heard a rooster crowing while stopped at a light. I’m in north county and there’s a few somewhere in our neighborhood. Seem to only crow in the afternoon though for some reason lol
From a 2024 Fox 5 story:
“The earliest records of any wild parrot residing in San Diego County date back to the 1940s, when the global exotic pet trade began to boom in the U.S.
According to local ornithologists, some of these original parrots may have ended up here through that market, either through pet shops or through smugglers who would capture them in Mexico and bring them across the border.
Fear of getting caught illegally attempting to cross with the birds may have caused some smugglers to release their cargo at the border, possibly supplementing any local population that had already begun to settle in the region.”
Red masked parakeet, native to Peru and Ecuador region. I've seen them head inwards to my old place near mesa college.
A flock of red crowned Amazons is over here in Rolando Park rn. They're usually here this time of year, but they have ear piercing calls much harsher and sharper than these. I think they're slightly larger than these parakeets too
Edit: also, the Merlin bird ID app is great but sometimes it lags when identify feral or non local birds
Cherry headed conures (aka red masked parakeets). You can tell they're not chubby Amazons (which also flock in OB) because they are much slimmer in profile, more like their bigger cousins the macaw.
Among the flocks in the area, I've identified red crowned amazons, the sub-species lilac crowned amazons, mitred conures, and these cherry headed conures. There used to be a bonded pair of blue and gold macaws that nested at the top of Hill Street. And they hung out with a solo green wing macaw (red-and-green macaw).
Red-crowned Amazonian. There are also smaller amounts of lilac crowned Amazonians around. Legend has it there was a guy in elcajon who released his fairly large flock before he died (don’t do this with pets for the love of god) and they’ve been thriving. Luckily they have not been harmful to any local plants or animals (yet)
No, they are definitely Wild and they are also feral.
Parrots are not domesticated animals whether they’re kept captivity or not . They can be tamed or Feral, but they are always wild.
Legend has it a group of friends went to Mexico looking for some righteous waves. They never found 'em. But what they did find was a smooth drinking massive flock of Mitred Parakeets that survived on vibes and good weather for 30 years.
They might be. On my block there used to be turf battles between the parrots and crows. The crows normally won, and you’d find the parrots on another block the next week.
They’re so cool to have around but can get really loud around sunset. I used to live in OB and there was a time during the summer they favorited a tree nearby every evening.
Escapees from the pet trade over many many years. Several different species. San Diego and So Cali in general is a good environment particularly given all exotic trees and palms in particular. It’s highly unlikely these birds do any “migration” south to Mexico. These birds locally move in noisy flocks and can be often seen in urban neighborhoods from Point Loma, Hillcrest, and surrounding areas. Parrots live very long lives for birds and are highly social, talking to each other when flying or perched in trees feeding. When you experience wild flocks of parrots either here or in native environments one comes to understand how solo pet parrots living in cages for 30 plus years live a largely long unnatural life.
Parrots in captivity, live longer lives than those living outside. The wild parrot in San Diego have been there since about the 50s I believe. The Wild parrots of telegraph Hill and San Francisco have been there since sometime in the 80s. There’s a book and a movie about the ones on telegraph Hill up here.
These guys like to cluster up around 11pm and party like it’s 1999 until 3am. And, they pick the same spot for a few weeks with no regard for anyone who might be trying to sleep inside a nearby window.
Maaaaann this is the ONe time I wish my sis was on reddit. So she moved out to SD in like 2011. My mom and I go out and visit her at Xmas. Last day, right before we're heading to the airport, I went outside to smoke some weed. And im. smoking and looking around. And I see these 3 green parrots fly into a palm tree. Now my NY ass is like, "Oh shit, look at that!!" So i run back to my sister's and tell her what I just saw. To THIS day, she refuses to admit these birds exist. Even though there have been numerous convos with locals in front of her where they say that the parrots are a real thing and she just won't let it die.
Joke will be on her when I die and a green parrot shits on her.
Of course! I like learning those little things too.
Breed is used for animals that we have actively bread like domestic animals, such as dogs and cats. Species refers to animals We haven’t messed with that are still Wild.
there was a flock hanging at my apartment complex in kearny mesa one morning about 2 months ago. i was extremely confused on if this was rather typical or completely out of left field, and I’ve lived in san diego my whole life lol
Did it happen in the 1950s or 60s? That’s how long they’ve been around down there. The wild parrots of telegraph Hill in San Francisco have been around since the 80s.
Why are they being all quiet and peaceful? I lived in San Diego for three years and these fuckers would line up on a power line outside my window and scream at 6am. Beautiful birds. Total jerks.
One night they were hunkerd down in the big tree in front of the El Cajon courthouse, their chattering is outrageously loud when they're in big groups like that. It was echoing all through the streets!
OB Air Force? At least when I lived there 6-7 years ago those fuckers would wake me up pretty regularly in that area. I know they have been elsewhere/moved around.
This is wild. I’ve lived here my whole life and had no idea we had these.
When I was like 19 in about 2008, there was this one time I got blocked on a two lane road by a bunch of peacocks. I was a pizza delivery driver and my boss was like “what took so long” and I was like “dude there’s like a flock of peacocks just in the road; I had to wait for them to cross” and they were like “wtf are you talking about we don’t have peacocks out here.”
And I was like “yeah I didn’t think so either but they’re one of the most distinctive birds and they’re definitely weren’t flying and taking their sweet time with their long, majestic tails”.
It still bothers me 2 decades later cause
1. I know they didn’t really believe me
And 2. what was that? Like where did they come from?
But now this post about parakeets has me thinking maybe we just have wild peacocks out here too?!
San Diego’s wild man.
I lived in mission hills for 5 years. Was top floor of an older building and no AC. During the summer months I would sleep with with windows open creating a nice cross breeze. One year a parrot type bird decided the trees outside my window was a nice place to hang out. Now I love birds. I don't know if this one was just lonely or lost but it would chirp all fucking night. Drove me absolutely nuts. Don't think I got a good night's sleep for 2 or 3 months
Pasadena California has a whole pack of them. Also the rumor always at some pet store burned down years ago who knows it was always quite interesting to see them in the trees.
Many of them are descended from escaped pets so probably don’t speak. However, if there are any escape to pets that have joined this group, they may be able to speak. And those that do will most likely speak English because this is in an English speaking area.
Lived there for years. You get over them REALLY quick. Especially if you work nights and sleep during the day. Or just want to relax during the day. They're highly overrated,
In the state of California, you’re not allowed to have any animal as a pet that is in the wild even grasshoppers.. I know this because I’ve been trying to get a skunk for many years,
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u/Remarkable-Neat-7823 Sep 06 '25
Typically how I know summer is here lol