Green Parrots in Hawaii

Flocks of them fly from Kapio'lani Park to Punahou to the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Here are a few pictures from KHNL TV. Kiawe is their food of choice and UH, Punahou has plentiful kiawe trees. They call to each other as they fly in flocks of as many as two dozen.

By Howard Dashefsky -

HONOLULU (KHNL) - The next time you take a stroll through Kapiolani Park, or around the Diamond Head area, keep an eye out for the red-masked parakeet. A small, colorful parrot native to the dry forests of coastal Ecuador and Peru where kiawe is plentiful. As a result, the birds feel right at home here on oahu.

"The non-native plant species are the richest food source for them" said wildlife researcher Nick Kalodimos. "So they choose what's easiest to get at, and what provides the most reward for their effort."