The sad tale of the Carolina Parakeet

             The Carolina Parakeet, also known as the Carolina Conure, has much in common with another North American bird who suffered under man’s reign, the Passenger Pigeon. The Carolina was the only parrot native to North America that had a range in the states as far north as New York state and possibly Southern Ontario Canada. These parrots ranging in size of 31-33 cm formed large flocks in old growth   

The territory the Carolina lived in.

forests and are famous for being one of the few animals able to eat the fruits of the cocklebur, a plant that is highly poisonous to other animals. The Carolina ranged from the Gulf of Mexico to at least New York state though a fossil found in Southern Ontario could prove they ranged a little further north than the states. It then went from the Atlantic Ocean west to Louisiana. They were the only indigenous parrot to the eastern states and were very common in their territory.      

 

 Description

 They were commonly seen in large flocks feasting, preening and playing in the trees and were quite friendly to people. It is believed that they might have associated with the natives and when they were still common they had been kept as pets. They were known to be loud and  boisterous and when feeding they would chatter away in the trees. They would feed by day and roost at night in a communal roost often in large trees. They nested in tree cavities and it is believed that several females would nest together in the same hollow in the trunk. Females were often seen flying from feeding areas to the nest from March to June and the female laid two near circular eggs the gestation period of which is not known. They were noted for being very agile and acrobatic and seemed to favour using their left foot over their right foot.  

Aubdons drawing of the Luisiana Subspecies.
Sadly this is the only known representation
of this animal.



Original Aubdon drawing.



 

At least two subspecies were identified when they were still alive. The regular bird and a Louisiana sub species that showed a natural colour mutation. Whereas the regular Carolina Parakeet was green with an orange yellow head, wrist/carpal edges and thighs the Louisiana variant was a more bluish green with more subdued colours. Juveniles of were typically more green acquiring their orange and red colours as they got older.

For a short time they had been kept as pets but as their numbers began to dwindle they were no longer being kept as pets.  

   

Diet 

They fed on Cockleburs, sandspurs, fruits, seeds, berries, corn, wild grapes, buds, nuts, flowers and insects. It is believed that eating cockleburs, a highly poisonous plant, was the reason they had almost no natural predators. Like their South American cousins they were reported to eat mud high in minerals that they didn’t often acquire in their natural habitat and to cleanse the body of harmful chemicals.

Threats and Extinction  

Since they had few natural predators the major threat to the Carolina was man. They were hunted for their feathers and trapped for the bird trade. Man’s expansion into the wild and for farming destroyed their natural habitats. This combined with the promise of easy and plentiful food caused the Carolina Parakeet to raid farmers’ fields and destroy their crops. The angry farmers soon seen the birds as pests and destroyed the birds as often as they could. By the early 1900’s few birds remained in the wild and the last few were killed by scientists for specimens. The last wild flock lived in Florida but despite being healthy, stable, breeding and no longer being hunted by farmers or scientists the flock all died in a short period of time. The mysterious circumstances of the Carolina Parakeets final demise is not well understood but two hypotheses have been put forward. It is believed either a disease originating in poultry or a sudden frost wiped out the birds.

             The last known Carolina Parakeet died in the Cincinnati Zoo in 1918. In the same Zoo and Aviary Pen   the last Passenger Pigeon, Martha, had died in only four years earlier. The species was finally deemed extinct in 1939 after they hadn’t been seen for over 20 years. Between 1937 and 1955 footage of what was believed to be the Carolina Parakeet was filmed in the Okefenokee Swamp but scientists have concluded the footage is of some other parakeet species that was released from captivity not the Carolina. Sadly all that is left of this bird are some stuffed specimens held in museums and some artwork for future generations to see.        

A Carolina Parakeet next to a Passenger Pigeon. Both now are nothing but a memory.