Noisy, curious and cheeky, these surprisingly resourceful foreigners have made themselves at home in Mallorca. And no, we’re not talking about tourists or expats this time. Meet the monk parrots, the island’s most colorful — and arguably loudest — newcomers.
How Did They Get Here?
Hailing from South America (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay), monk parrots have long been the bane of farmers, notorious for their impressive appetites and gastronomic passion for fresh crops. But in the second half of the 20th century, a particularly enterprising Latin American had the bright idea to capture these pint-sized green chatterboxes and sell them as exotic pets in Europe.
Monk parrots, or monk parakeets, are small (about 30 cm from beak to tail) and sport a bright green plumage with gray chests — think of them as kiwis or avocados with wings. Initially, they arrived in Spain as cage birds, marketed as cheerful companions for humans. But their knack for problem-solving quickly became apparent. A few crafty individuals managed to escape their confines and spread their wings — literally. And where better to settle than sunny Palma, where they found love, tree tops, and a new calling as urban troublemakers.
Fast forward a few decades, and Spain now boasts around 160,000 monk parrots — higher many Spanish regional capitals like Huelva, León. Imagining a city entirely populated by parrots sounds like something out of a Zootopia spin-off, but it’s not far from reality in certain neighborhoods of Palma.
Life as a Monk Parrot
Parrots are noisy and sociable creatures. In the wild, monk parrots live in enormous flocks (up to 500 birds). They thrive in areas where the temperature doesn’t drop below 5°C, making much of Spain their semi-tropical Shangri-La.
Their nests, however, are where their ingenuity really shines. Built from twigs, branches, and anything else they can scavenge, these structures resemble oversized bird condos. They’re heavy enough to occasionally cause a tree branch — or even an entire tree — to crash down, much to the dismay of parked cars, pedestrians, and municipal gardeners.
Despite their penchant for chaos, monk parrots are fascinating creatures. They can live for 10 to 20 years, are relatively easy to train, and bring a splash of the tropics to Mallorcan treetops. So, if one of these green neighbors has moved into your area, why not pick up a birdwatching guide and learn their secrets? It’s never too late to start!
Text by Stefan Rairayan
