San Diego's parrots have returned. How did they get here in the first place?

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — When thinking of the birds that define San Diego's beaches, one probably pictures seabirds or seagulls in flight. But, there's another avian species characteristic of the region's coast that most would probably recognize from just their raucous sound: parrots.

A handful of San Diego's beachside neighborhoods — Point Loma, Ocean Beach and Pacific Beach — are home to a sizable transplant population of Red-crowned Amazon parrots, an endangered species of parrot that is native to northeastern Mexico.

Flocks of the Red-crowned Amazons mostly hang out in the county during the spring and summer months before migrating in the winter. San Diegans likely already know they returned to the region a few weeks ago from their squawking or spotting their stocky, mostly bright green bodies.

While there is no extant species that are native to the continental U.S., the Red-crowned are the most common type of parrots that can be found roaming the county, according to the San Diego Audubon Society. Similar populations also reside in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

San Diego is also home to a few Lilac-crowned Amazons, the counterpart of the Red-crowned that is native to the Pacific slopes of Mexico, among a handful of others.

So, how did San Diego — and Southern California at large — become a hub for parrot populations?

It is hard to pinpoint exactly what led to parrot species becoming naturalized in the region, in part because there has been little research conducted on the species in general over the last few decades. What experts do know, however, seemingly paints a picture as old as time.

The earliest records of any wild parrot residing in San Diego County date back to the 1940s, when the global exotic pet trade began to boom in the U.S.

According to local ornithologists, some of these original parrots may have ended up here through that market, either through pet shops or through smugglers who would capture them in Mexico and bring them across the border.

Fear of getting caught illegally attempting to cross with the birds may have caused some smugglers to release their cargo at the border, possibly supplementing any local population that had already begun to settle in the region.

Migration due to habitat loss through deforestation or poaching — the principal drivers behind the dwindling numbers in its native ecosystems to critical levels — may also have played a role in building up San Diego's local population of parrots, according to the San Diego Plant Atlas.

These trends were similarly believed to drive the growth of Los Angeles' concentration of Red-crowned parrot, although counts of the population puts it roughly three times larger than that of San Diego.

In 2019, it was estimated that there was 1,100 parrots in San Diego County across all nine species recorded in the region. Amazon parrots between both the Red-crowned and Lilac-crowned birds make up nearly three-quarters of that population.

Outside Southern California, the Red-crowned parrot in particular has dwindled so much in its natural habitat that the International Union for Conservation of Nature has it labeled as "possibly extinct" in all but a few couple-mile long stretches.

The non-profit, which compiles lists of critically endangered of animal species called the "IUCN Red List," estimates there are only upwards of 4,300 Red-crowned Amazons left globally.

Urban populations, like San Diego's, can help conserve the number of wild parrots that are left with few impacts on the local environment or wildlife — except for the sounds, of course.

According to the San Diego Audubon Society, the parrots have established an "unique ecological niche" in these areas, instead turning to ornamental items that adorn trees as food sources. They have also been known to help encourage native plant growth by propagating seeds.

"Worldwide, the climate crisis is expected to alter the native habitats for many species of parrots in the future," the birding group wrote in a 2020 edition of its magazine, Sketches. "Fortunately, some parrot species of conservation concern have found success in urban habitats in Southern California, with minimal impact on native species."

Those who want to try to spot one of the Red-crowned Amazons don't have to go far. The largest populations are in Point Loma and Ocean Beach, and can often be found hanging out in the branches of large trees.

According to the San Diego Audubon Society, they are most frequently active in the afternoon and early morning after sunrise, opting for naps during the middle of the day before going to bed around sunset.