Monk Parakeets LbNA #73920

Monk Parakeets are one of Austin's most bizarre birds. They are non-native parrots, which originated from released pets years ago, love the warm climate, and have now formed enormous wild colonies. They build giant stick nests, favoring spots such as cell phone towers, stadium lights (such as at Intramural Fields), and power stations. After seeing a number of monk parakeets around my neighborhood, I eventually found out one of the places they were living up here in the northern part of town.

Find the intersection of Pansy Trail and Avenue N. At the northwest corner of this intersection is a tall metal power pole. Pass along the sidewalk between this pole and a silver fire hydrant. As you pass the fire hydrant, on your right is a concrete slope. Count the drain holes near the bottom of this slope. Between the third and fourth drain hole, there is a seam in the concrete. This seam points to the location of the box, tucked at the base of a stump woven into the chain link fence at the top of the slope. Be careful of briars and poison ivy. Once you have stamped in, walk a bit farther along the sidewalk until you can see the power station (where there are security cameras). You should be able to see some of the parakeets from the sidewalk.

Hike length: 0.1 miles