Yesterday afternoon, I again observed a blue parakeet (which is also known as a budgerigar) in the trees in my suburban townhouse neighborhood, two weeks after I first spotted it in the “wild.”
Since that first spotting, we’ve had some heavy rain and the temperature has dipped down to the freezing level. Somehow, though, the parakeet (Melopsittacus undulatus) has managed to find shelter and food and avoid predators. The parakeet seems to stay in the same general location, not far from several bird feeders on the back decks of nearby houses.
The general consensus seems to be that this is an escaped pet. I worry about its long-term survival, but so far it appears to be adapting pretty well to the outdoor environment.
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Mike Powell 