Reviving Extinct Species: Is It Worth the Cost?

[mopinko]

10. they make great pets.

have a neighbor who had one land on her, and adopt her. he goes pretty much everywhere w her. on her bike.

fun story how they got a foothold here.
when they arrived, from pet trade escapes, likely, they started out on the lakefront. they had the good sense to pick a couple trees in front of a building called the flamingo in hyde park.
as it happens, one of the occupants of the building was then mayor harold washington. he had noticed them, and thought they were a good luck omen. so he instructed his security detail to keep an eye on them. since they mostly sat in a car in front of the building, the nests were safe.
a lot of the other spots they landed in were predated by that ugliest of 2 legged predators, looking for a quick buck selling the young ones.

but not this one. in the 6-something years that washington was mayor, and for a long while after thanks to his loving neighbors, the south shore flock grew huge. they spread to nearby washington park which is a pretty sleepy, underutilized park. soon they seemed like they were in every tree.

they come from cold climes, which is why they are (pretty sure) the only parrots who build communal nests. those suckers get huge too. i am sure they are toasty warm even here.