Threatened in their homeland, feral Mexican parrots thrive on L.A.'s exotic landscaping

I asked my mom what they were,' Ramirez recalled of that day 14 years ago. 'She said, 'Mija, they are just like the parrots from Mexico we've seen in zoos, except for one thing: They are free flying and breed in the trees along our city streets.'

Their findings add to a growing body of evidence that some introduced species including these feral parrots can experience rapid niche shifts beyond what appears to be possible in the forested regions of northern Mexico they evolved in.

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