Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Black-hooded Parakeet

 
Back in February I made the first of four trips to King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas, CA to install an energy efficient lighting system in the newly renovated Anthony C. Beilenson Visitor Center It's nestled west of north LA at the base of the Santa Monica Mountains.
Each morning I arrived, I was greeted by these noisy Black-hooded Parakeets perched high in the surrounding trees.  I didn't have much time to take pictures of them, but managed to get these before I left and I haven't seen them during any subsequent visits.
Though not currently listed by the ABA (unless added fairly recently, it missed out by one vote in 2006), it is estimated that there are approximately 300 breeding in the wild in California in and around this area.  There are larger populations in Florida.
Black-hooded Parakeets are native from southwestern Brazil to northern Argentina and the South American Classification Committee of the AOU and the International Ornithologists’ Union are now favoring the name Nanday Parakeet.  

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