Are Green Parakeets native to Texas?

Green Parakeets are a naturalized (established exotic) species in the Rio Grande Valley, descended from birds that escaped or were released from the pet trade beginning in the 1960s and 1970s. They are native to northeastern Mexico, barely reaching the U.S. border, so the Texas population has some native-range overlap. The ABA accepted them on the official checklist as an established population.

How do you tell a Green Parakeet from a Red-crowned Parrot?

Green Parakeets are slimmer and much longer-tailed than the stocky Red-crowned Parrot. The Green Parakeet is all-green with no red coloration (other than occasional scattered red feathers in some individuals). It has a pointed tail and a smaller, less deep bill. In flight the longer, tapered tail and faster wingbeats give it a more swallow-like profile compared to the chunky, short-tailed Red-crowned Parrot.

Where can I see Green Parakeets in South Texas?

Green Parakeets are most reliably seen in urban areas of the lower Rio Grande Valley — particularly McAllen, Edinburg, and Brownsville. They form communal roosts at dusk, often in large palms or dense shade trees near shopping centers and parks. Dawn and dusk roost flights are the most spectacular. Local eBird reports and birding groups often share current roost locations.

What does a Green Parakeet sound like?

Green Parakeets are very noisy — flocks produce a constant, harsh, screechy chatter in flight and at roost sites. The calls are high-pitched, rolling, and repetitive, easily heard from a long distance when a flock is in the area. Their calls are shriller and more rapid than the rolling shouts of Red-crowned Parrots, and the slim silhouette in flight helps confirm the identification once the call is heard.

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Rio Grande Valley · Resident (naturalized)

Green Parakeet

Psittacara holochlorus · Perico verde

Resident

Green Parakeet perched in tree in South Texas

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Overview

The Green Parakeet is one of two naturalized parrot species that have become established residents of the lower Rio Grande Valley. Originally native to northeastern Mexico, wild-caught birds that escaped or were released from the pet trade in the 1970s established a feral population that has now grown to several thousand birds in the McAllen-Brownsville corridor. The ABA (American Birding Association) officially accepted the Texas population as a countable species in 2017. Their raucous calls and acrobatic flights over Valley neighborhoods at dawn and dusk are now a defining feature of the urban soundscape.

Identification

Almost entirely bright green — a relatively large parakeet (13 inches) with long pointed tail. Yellow-green on the underparts; brighter green above. The face shows occasional scattered orange-red feathers, especially around the lores, though much less than some other green parakeet species. Bill is pale and heavy. In flight, yellowish underwing coverts contrast with greener flight feathers.

The main confusion species in the Valley is the Monk Parakeet, which is smaller and grayer on the face and breast. Green Parakeets travel in noisy flocks and are often heard before they are seen — a loud, harsh kree-kree in flight is characteristic. Flying flocks show rapid, direct wingbeats.

Habitat & Range

In the Rio Grande Valley, Green Parakeets inhabit urban and suburban areas with large trees — palm groves, city parks, neighborhoods with mature fig, citrus, and native trees. They roost communally in large numbers and range widely to forage each day. Cliff faces and tall structures are used for nesting.

The naturalized Texas population is concentrated in Hidalgo and Cameron counties. The native range is in eastern and southern Mexico from Tamaulipas south through Central America.

Behavior & Diet

Green Parakeets are highly social and feed in flocks, consuming fruits, seeds, flowers, grain, and cultivated crops. They can cause significant damage to orchards and gardens. Figs, palm fruits, and sorghum are favored foods in the Valley.

Large communal roosts — sometimes thousands of birds — form at dusk in palm groves and other tall trees. The pre-roost gatherings, with their swirling green flocks and deafening noise, are a spectacle in their own right. Nesting occurs in cliff cavities, buildings, and bridges.

Where to See in South Texas

Quinta Mazatlán

McAllen

National Butterfly Center

Mission

Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park

Mission

Look for flocks flying overhead at dawn and dusk in any McAllen or Brownsville neighborhood. Local birders can point you to current roost sites, which shift seasonally.

Best Time to See

Year-round — Green Parakeets are permanent residents of the McAllen and Brownsville urban areas. The easiest way to find them is to be in downtown McAllen or any park with mature trees at dawn or dusk, when communal flocks fly noisily between roost and foraging sites. The loud, chattering calls carry well and flocks of dozens to hundreds are visible from the street. Christmas Bird Count data regularly show thousands of birds in the valley — this is one of the most reliable exotic-species experiences in the U.S.

Conservation Status

IUCN: Least Concern

The native population in Mexico is stable. The naturalized Texas population has grown substantially and is self-sustaining. Some concern exists about competition with native cavity-nesters, though cliff-nesting reduces this overlap. ABA-countable since 2017.

Fun Fact

The Green Parakeet population in South Texas is large enough that coordinated Christmas Bird Counts regularly record thousands of individuals in the McAllen area — making it one of the most numerous parakeet species counted anywhere in North America each winter. The colony grows a little larger every year.

In the News

Birds You Can Only See in South Texas (Within the United States)The Green Parakeet is one of the Valley's most entertaining residents — a wild flock species found nowhere else in the U.S., whose loud communal roosts light up the evening sky above Brownsville and McAllen.Read article →Save the Date: Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival Returns This NovemberThe Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival is held each November in the cities where Green Parakeet is a daily sight — enormous roosts of hundreds of birds return to the same trees every evening throughout the festival weekend.Read article →

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