Monk Parakeets

I had the privilege of studying one of the most charismatic and social species during my PhD, and I am excited to tell you more about their biology and behavior.

Popularity in the pet trade and status as an invasive species

Monk parakeets, also called quaker parrots, are a relatively small parrot native to South America. Friendly, with a healthy amount of sass and the ability to mimic human speech, they tend to make great companions and are one of the most popular parrot species in the pet trade (Uehling et al., 2019). However, because of accidental and intentional releases of these birds, they have successfully established breeding populations globally. Since the mid-60s, they have been well-established in several US states, including Florida, Texas, and Illinois (Uehling et al., 2019).

Their expansion outside of their native range may be aided by their unique apartment-style stick nests. Unlike most other species of parrots, monk parakeets are not reliant on cavities because they build their nests on a variety of structures, including utility poles and power lines, and they can rebuild them quite rapidly in case of any damage (Burger & Gochfeld 2009; Burgio et al., 2014). This flexibility in their nesting behavior and their expansive diet may also allow them to adjust to urban environments, making them common visitors at back yard feeders (Uehling et al., 2019).

Public attitudes and perceptions

Whether as pets or as a vibrant addition to their gardens, many people find monk parakeets to be quite charming. For example, Chicago’s Mayor Harold Washington called them a good luck talisman (Uehling et al., 2019). Legislation passed in New York (New York Senate Bill S2146) and New Jersey (New Jersey Assembly Bill A1237) increased protection for monk parakeets despite their status as a non-native species.

Public attitudes towards them have always been mixed. Monk parakeets also have the nickname “la plaguea” (the plague) (Fernández et al., 2022), they have been described as “loud”, “harsh” (López-Ramírez & Muñoz, 2022), “powerful”, “unpleasant”, and “cheap” (Muñoz & Real 2006). They are infamous for causing electrical fires and power outages (Burgio et al., 2014). Some of which have inconvenienced over 10,000 people simultaneously (Newman et al., 2008). As a result, they are banned from several US states, including Hawaii, California, and Kansas (Dana et al., 1974, Buhler et al., 2001).

Social behavior and potential cognitive abilities

Like most other parrot species, monk parakeets are highly social. Building apartment-style stick nests allows them to maintain close ties with resident social group members year-round. Within these social groups, birds often form strong affiliative (friendly) relationships with 1-2 other birds with whom they will allopreen, or social groom exclusively. Alternatively, monk parakeets can be quarrelsome and fight quite a bit. Our research in the Hobson Lab demonstrates that captive groups of monk parakeets form dominance hierarchies, meaning that their aggression is structured rather than random (Hobson et al., 2021).

Additionally, our research shows that monk parakeets are capable of social and cognitive complexity. For example, who monk parakeets choose to fight and when is likely structured by the birds’ previous interactions with their social group members rather than more simply social rules like relative size or badges of status (van der Marel et al., 2023). This research shows that the birds can base agonistic social decisions on more socially and cognitively complex rules, which could require cognitive skills like individual recognition and memory rather than relying on individual characteristics.

Similarly, my research investigating their affiliative relationships gives us a similar perspective of their affilaitive sociecognitive abilities. For example, unfamiliar birds take time to develop their affiliative relationships with strangers by sharing space before eventually initiating affiliative contact ([O’Connell et al., 2025(https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2025.0399)]). This shows that establishing familiarity and gradually escalating the relationship is an important part of the process.

There is still a lot to learn about the monk parakeet, but you can read more about monk parakeets and the closely related cliff parakeet at the Birds of the World Account for more information!