End Inhumane Treatment of wild Monk Parakeets Living in the Edgewater Colony

A petition to the Board and Management of the Edgewater Colony in Edgewater, New Jersey, requesting they stop their inhumane practice of continuous nest removals, currently being carried out in an attempt to eradicate the birds from the area.

The petition offers 4 humane alternatives to controlling the population, including a link to building alternative nest platforms and visual deterrents--none of which are cruel or lethal, unlike the practice being employed today by the Edgewater Colony.

To The Members of the Edgewater Colony Board and Management:



It has come to our attention that the Edgewater Colony Board and Management are utilizing continuous nest removals and cutting down trees containing nests in an attempt to eradicate the wild Monk Parakeets from the area.



We disapprove of the current and inhumane methods being utilized by the Edgewater Colony Board and Management and call upon the Edgewater Colony Board and Management to implement the following:



1. Adopt a humane nest removal protocol-similar to the one used by PSE&G- that utilizes nest removals twice a year--before and after the breeding season, i.e. before April 1st and after September 30th.



2. Discontinue the current practice of removing nests continuously, because temperatures are cold and without nests, the parrots suffer and may die from exposure or become prey to local hawks and falcons that live in the area.



3. Consider building alternative nesting platforms in bird friendly areas to lure the parrots away from residents who do not like them.



4. Install humane nesting deterrents on trees and utility poles.


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The rational for the demands above is as follows:


%uFFFD         While it has been alleged that, as a non-native species, Monk parakeets may compete with native birds for resources, therefore contributing to a decline in native populations, these assertions are fictional and based on conjecture, rather than sound scientific fact. Human activities, habitat destruction, environmental pollution and toxins, and accidents with building structures impact native bird populations far more adversely than the presence of Monk parakeets. Naturalized parakeet colonies tend to inhabit urban and suburban areas where many native plants and animals are already subjected to environmental degradation and habitat loss caused by industrialization and other land development. 


%uFFFD         Regardless of their non-native status, Monk parrots deserve protection from unnecessary death.


%uFFFD         If nest tear downs are necessitated, they should be undertaken from early spring through mid-summer to give the birds time to find alternative nesting sites during the time of the when nest building is combined with the drive to reproduce. This will also give the Monks ample time to find new food sources before the weather turns cold. Under no circumstances should nests be removed in the dead of winter, leaving birds with no shelter, or in the late spring, when nests are full of hatchlings. 


%uFFFD         Historically, any attempts to eradicate colonies of wild Monk parakeets have not been demonstrated to be effective, due to the parakeets%u2019 highly adaptive nature.


%uFFFD        Wild Monk parakeets do not spread diseases to human beings.


%uFFFD         It is possible to work out a way to better accommodate the interests of both species, but only if some thoughtful research is directed towards a solution. For example:



1.     In New Jersey, where many wild parrots now live, the utility company, PSE&G,   has implemented a nest maintenance protocol. Nests are removed two times a year--before and after the breeding season. Additionally, new strategies have been developed to apply orange insulting sleeve on top of utility poles to deter nest construction.
2.       In Massachusetts, alternative nest platforms have been designed that have proved successful in luring wild Quaker parrots away from electrical power infrastructure.
3.       In Texas, utility workers will trim back nests without destroying them, which is both humane and more likely to keep the birds from "hedging their evolutionary bets" by building redundant housing and having a second brood of young, which is what these birds do when their nests are disturbed by man.
4.       In New York, Con Edison, whose wild parrot control policy is comparatively moderate, has expressed a willingness to consider new ideas from private citizens and avicultural experts that might provide a better solution for accommodating the competing interests of humans and avians. 
 


Another promising strategy may be is to provide alternative nesting sites in combination with nest teardowns other deterrents to keep populations from increasing. Information on a pilot program can be found at: http://www.fosterparrots.com/QuakerNestingPlatform.pdf  



For all the reasons listed above, we urge the Edgewater Colony Board and Management to discontinue their plan to continuously remove Monk parakeet nests and strongly encourage them to begin to use of non-lethal and humane strategies to deter and/or remove birds from problematic nesting sites.  

We appreciate, and thank you, in advance, for your anticipated cooperation.

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