AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY 3 



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 I CAROLINA PAROQUET, 1 



A. O. U. No. 383. (Conurus carolinensis.) 



Since the Mexican Thick-billed Parrot is only occasionallj^ found over 

 the United States border in Southern Arizona^ the Carolina Paroquet may 

 be regarded as the only true representative of the Parrot family in our coun- 

 try. Paroquets are usually smaller and more gracefully formed birds than 

 are the Parrots. They are all tropical, and nearly all brilliant in plumage, 

 their feathers combining the greens, reds, blues, and yellows to harmonize 

 with the tropical foliage. So well does their plumage agree with their sur- 

 roundings that, were it not for their harsh voices, which always betray them, 

 it would be difficult to locate them. 



Our paroquets are beautiful creatures, slender in form, and attractively 

 colored. Adults have the fore part of the head an intense orange red, but 

 the heads of the young birds are a more or less bright greenish yellow; in 

 length they range from 16 tol7 inches. 



Years ago, Carolina Paroquets were commonly found in all our southern 

 states, and in some localities they were very abundant, flocks containing 

 a hundred or more individuals being frequently seen. Since the advent of 

 civilized man and with the advance of civilization, their numbers have stead- 

 ily decreased until at the present day they are upon the verge of becoming 

 extinct, and the next few years will see the passing away of the last of the 

 few remaining birds, without our being able in any way to stay their de- 

 struction. Their passing is a sad one and, in many respects, may be likened 

 to that of the Great Auk, the Passenger Pigeon, and the Bison. 



The greatest factor in their decline is the inroad that progress has made 

 into '.heir chosen dwelling places. Their boundaries have been gradually 

 narrowed and pushed steadily southward until the few remaining birds are 

 tj be found in the inaccessible swamps of middle and southern Florida. As 

 late as I860 they were regarded as abundant in some sections of the South, 

 and even in 1890 flocks of from fifty to one hundred individuals were not 

 uncommon. Besides eating the seeds of various plants and trees, they were 

 fond of oranges, bananas and other cultivated fruits, as well as many grains. 

 For this reason they were in ill-repute with the farmers, who always im- 

 proved an opportunity to kill them. They were often caught and sold for 

 cage birds and many of them perished in this way, their habits rendering 

 their capture alive an easy matter. 



Their notes are loud, harsh and discordant, like those of all parrots; 

 soon after rising in the morning and just before going to roost at night, 

 and at all times when in flight, their incessant clatter and chatter proclaims 

 their presence. Their flight is quite rapid, sometimes resembling that of 



