Pair of Parakeets by Seth Patterson on Flickr.

A pair of Green Parakeets pose near the entrance to their nesting cavity in an old palm.

Parakeets have taken a strong hold in Brownsville, Texas and can be seen flying in large numbers all over the city. It is unknown as to whether these individuals are escaped, released, or a migrant population of wild birds from further south into Mexico. But they most certainly are flourishing in this new northern range, successfully nesting and reproducing generation after generation.

It seems they, as well as many other bird species in the area, favor adopting old woodpecker nest cavities in dead palms. So do the birds a favor and leave up those old palm logs!