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"They are a pretty small problem now, but
could easily grow into a much bigger problem.
Good things are aligning to take care of the
problem right now. We can do it cheaply and
easily," said Avian Veterinarian Scott Ford of
the Medical Center for Birds in Oakley, Calif.
A local trapper is working with Cingular
Wireless to capture the birds. Kate Clark of the
nonprofit Angel Wings Exotic Bird Rescue and
Rehab in Kitsap County has volunteered to care
for the birds until they are appropriately
relocated.
The birds could go to breeders, pet shops,
homes, or even be donated to schools, Clark
said.
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife
officially recommended the birds be captured.
"Parrots have been known to spread diseases
and can have a long-term ecological impact to
native wildlife," wrote Fish and Wildlife
biologist Jeff Davis in a letter to the Port
Orchard City Council.
The flock of 20 or more is apparently the
offspring of five original Quakers that escaped
en route to a bird shop in the South Kitsap
Mall.
The birds seemed to have adapted to Port
Orchard's environs though their native homeland
is South America. That's typical of the Quakers.
They are hardy enough to live nearly anywhere.
There are large numbers in the wild in
California, Louisiana and Pennsylvania. There is
even a flock known to reside in Chicago, Ford
said. Some states have even outlawed them.
There isn't official research to determine
the real impact of Quaker parrots beyond being a
fast-proliferating nuisance, but evidence
suggests they can carry diseases, bully local
songbirds and chow down on a yard full of fruit.
Ford said the real danger though, is that
they simply aren't meant to be here.
"With any introduced species in North
America, the assumption that the species was
innocent until proven guilty has never resulted
in a positive outcome. Once the population is
established, it can become beyond control and
there is no going back," Ford said.
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