The Story Behind San Diego’s Parrots

In sunny San Diego, where seagulls often steal the show along the beaches, there’s another feathered friend making its mark: parrots.

You might have heard their distinctive squawks if you’ve spent time in neighborhoods like Point Loma, Ocean Beach, or Pacific Beach during the warmer months. These colorful birds, known as Red-crowned Amazons, originally come from northeastern Mexico.

But how did these parrots end up in sunny San Diego and other parts of Southern California? Well, it’s kind of like a bird mystery, but let’s try to piece it together.

Way back in the 1940s, when people were really into exotic pets, some parrots may have been brought to San Diego. They could’ve come through pet shops legally, or some sneaky folks might’ve smuggled them across the border from Mexico.

Imagine that—birds on a secret journey! Some of these smugglers might’ve let the parrots loose at the border to avoid getting caught. Also, it’s sad to say, but changes in their homes in Mexico, like forests getting cut down or people catching them too much, might have driven them to find new places to live.

Nowadays, San Diego is home to about 1,100 parrots of different kinds. The Red-crowned and Lilac-crowned Amazons are the most common ones. These parrots have gotten pretty good at living in cities. They eat stuff from fancy trees, and they even help out by spreading seeds for plants that belong here.

It’s not just a San Diego thing—parrots all over the world are having trouble because of changes in where they live. But places like Southern California, with its cities and gardens, can be good homes for some kinds of parrots, like the Red-crowned Amazon.

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If you want to see these cool birds in San Diego, head over to Point Loma or Ocean Beach. They’re most active in the afternoons and early mornings. But don’t expect to see them out and about in the middle of the day—they like to take naps then. And when the sun starts to set, they’re off to bed.

So, next time you’re chilling at the beach in San Diego, keep your eyes and ears open for these lively parrots. They’re adding a bit of wild charm to the sunny city life!