Bright green flashes streaking over Miami rooftops or the raucous squawking echoing through a St. Petersburg park often catch newcomers off guard, because Florida has no native parrots left in the wild. There was only one species of parrot that was native to Florida, the Carolina Parakeet, but this is now extinct. Every one of the many types of parrots in Florida seen today descended from escaped or released pets rather than a natural range expansion.
Over 75 species of parrots have been recorded in urban and suburban Florida, and of these, at least 20 species have bred in the state. Yet only a handful have built the kind of lasting, easily identifiable populations that regular birdwatchers and curious homeowners actually encounter.
This guide walks through five of the most recognizable wild parrot species established across the state: the Monk Parakeet, Nanday Parakeet, White-winged Parakeet, Red-crowned Amazon, and Mitred Parakeet. Each one has carved out its own neighborhoods, calls, and quirks worth knowing before your next backyard sighting.
For readers curious how these Florida residents compare to other parrot species found around the world, it helps to know that Florida’s populations represent just a small slice of a much larger, globally distributed family of birds.
| Species | Average Size | Where to Spot It | Estimated Florida Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monk Parakeet | About 12 inches | Statewide, especially Miami Shores and Key Biscayne | 600 to 1,200 |
| Nanday Parakeet | About 12 inches | Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg, Miami | Over 1,000 |
| White-winged Parakeet | About 8.5 inches (22 cm) | Miami and surrounding South Florida | Declining, once widespread |
| Red-crowned Amazon | About 12 inches | Miami parks, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach | Around 200 |
| Mitred Parakeet | Larger than Red-masked relatives | Miami, often with Red-masked Parakeets | Increasing |
1. Monk Parakeet
The Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) is the most common green parakeet species in Florida, and it is also sold in the pet trade as the Quaker Parrot. Monk Parakeets, also called Quaker Parrots, are the most common green parakeet species in Florida. Look for bright green plumage on the back and wings paired with a grayish-blue forehead and cheeks and a pale gray breast, a combination that makes this bird fairly easy to pick out once you know what to look for.
What truly sets this species apart is its nesting behavior. While parrots introduced to Florida typically nest in tree cavities, Monk Parakeets are the only species that builds communal stick nests. These structures are not small: they are known for their large, communal nests, which can weigh hundreds of pounds and are often constructed in trees, utility poles, and buildings.
Drive through Miami-Dade neighborhoods and you may spot these bulky nests directly, since reliable locations in Miami-Dade include Miami Shores, Miami Springs around the Fair Haven Nursing Home, Key Biscayne, Baptist Hospital, and Kendall Indian Hammocks, A D Barnes, Pine Woods, and Matheson Hammock Parks.
Population estimates vary by source, but an estimated 600 to 1,200 Monk Parakeets currently call the Sunshine State their permanent residence as of a 2025 wildlife survey. Monk Parakeets are also one of the few species that qualify as officially countable statewide, since Monk and Nanday Parakeet are ABA-countable statewide, while other species are limited to specific regions.
Pro Tip: Monk Parakeets are loud before they are visible. Scan utility poles and palm trees for their bulky stick nests, and listen for chattering calls in the early morning or late afternoon when activity peaks.
Their success has not come without friction. The Monk Parakeet is one of the most prevalent invasive parrots in Florida, and while they contribute to the local ecosystem, they can also compete with native bird species for resources, which raises concerns among conservationists. Florida’s broader avian community includes plenty of other established non-native residents too, a pattern also visible among the types of pigeons found across Florida that share similar urban habitats.
2. Nanday Parakeet
The Nanday Parakeet (Aratinga nenday), sometimes labeled the Black-hooded Parakeet, ranks as Florida’s second-most commonly reported wild parrot. Florida’s second-most common parrot is the nanday parakeet (Aratinga nenday) or the black-hooded parakeet (Nandayus nenday). Its identifying features are hard to mistake once pointed out: nanday parakeets have a black hooded head and dark-colored bill, with mostly green bodies and bright red thigh feathers, and some also show blue highlights on their wings and tails.
These birds run medium-sized for a Florida parakeet, since nanday parakeets measure about 12 inches long and weigh a mere 4.9 ounces. The species originated far from Florida, as these green parakeets are native to Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina. Their Florida story began decades ago: the black-hooded parakeet was first observed outside of confinement in 1969 in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Since that first sighting, the population has grown substantially. Its population has grown to more than 1,000 birds, ranging mostly from Bayonet Point north of Tampa to Sarasota, and they can also be observed in smaller abundance on both coasts of Florida, including Bradenton, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Miami, and St. Augustine. They tend to favor specific landscaping choices over natural forest, since they favor urban and suburban sites with exotic plants such as royal palms and Mexican fan palms, where they feed and nest in noisy flocks of up to 100 birds.
Important Note: Whether these established parrot populations should be labeled invasive is genuinely debated among Florida birders. The ecological damage they cause is real in some cases but modest in others, so most field guides describe them as non-native rather than assigning a fixed verdict.
Nesting habits also separate this species from tree-cavity nesters elsewhere in the state, since Nanday Parakeets seek out cavities in which to lay their eggs without the elaborate stick construction seen in Monk Parakeets. Anyone curious about how established non-native reptiles have followed a similar path into Florida’s ecosystems might also look into the types of snakes found throughout the state, many of which arrived through the same pet-trade pathway.
3. White-winged Parakeet
The White-winged Parakeet (Brotogeris versicolurus) is a smaller, quieter presence compared to its Florida cousins, though it shares a similar backstory. White-winged Parakeet, scientifically Brotogeris versicolurus, was once considered the same species as the Yellow-chevroned Parakeet under the name Canary-winged Parakeet before the split in 1997.
Physically, this bird measures small for a Florida parrot. The white-winged parakeet typically is 22 centimeters in length and is mostly green in color, with a trailing yellow edge on its folded wings, and its most distinguished characteristic is the white wing patches most noticed when the bird is in flight. Large escaped flocks established the Florida population decades ago, since caged birds have been released and established self-sustaining populations in the Miami, Florida area, among other locations in the United States.
Unlike some of the other species on this list, the White-winged Parakeet’s Florida story has recently turned toward decline rather than expansion. Birders tracking the species firsthand report that while Yellow-chevroned was firmly established in the area, White-winged was on the decline, having disappeared from all of South Florida in the last few years, and no one understands the cause of this decline since there appears to be plenty of food around. This unpredictability is a good reminder that Florida’s introduced parrot populations are not permanent fixtures; they can shrink as quickly as they grow.
Behaviorally, small flocks stick close to fruiting trees, since these birds usually live in pairs or small groups and feed on fruits, seeds, and nuts, and they make loud calls during the day and night. The species is currently classified as ABA-countable only in the Miami region rather than statewide, reflecting its shrinking and geographically limited range.
Anyone interested in how other small, adaptable exotic species have taken hold in Florida’s warm climate might also check out the types of geckos established across the state, which followed a comparable introduction pattern through the pet trade.
4. Red-crowned Amazon
The Red-crowned Amazon (Amazona viridigenalis), also called the Red-crowned Parrot or Green-cheeked Amazon, is one of the larger and more strikingly colored parrots on this list. This parrot is also known as the Green-cheeked or Red-crowned Amazon. Its build is chunky and compact: it is a chunky, short-tailed parrot, mostly bright green, and the male has a forehead and most of the crown red with some dull blue on the nape, while the female and young show less red; a yellow-green band marks the tip of the tail, and like other Amazona parrots, it has a red patch in the wing, most obvious in flight.
Vocally, this species is hard to miss. When these stocky parrots fly overhead, they may be recognized by their loud cries of heeeyo, cra-cra-cra, and they give talkative, grating calls when perched, followed in flight by a piercing, high-pitched call and three or four lower, abrupt klaak calls. Its Florida population traces back to escapees rather than deliberate release, since birds escaped from captivity are free-flying, and sometimes nesting, locally in Florida.
Miami is the best-documented stronghold, with an interesting behavioral twist: in Florida, this bird is most often found in and around Miami parks with exotic plants, where it often occurs in mixed flocks with Mitred Parakeets that even roost together, and the population of these birds is estimated to be around 200 individuals in the Miami area. The species also holds regional ABA-countable status, since Red-crowned Parrot is ABA-countable in the Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach region.
Readers who enjoy the Amazona family in particular may want to browse the broader Amazon parrot species found around the world, since Florida’s population represents just one branch of a much larger genus spread across Latin America. It’s worth noting this species also maintains an established wild population in South Texas, a detail that adds useful context for anyone comparing regional bird lists such as the water bird species documented across Texas.
5. Mitred Parakeet
The Mitred Parakeet (Psittacara mitratus) rounds out this list as one of the trickier species to identify with confidence, largely because it looks so similar to its relatives. This species has a short, rounded tail and a long, pointed bill, and is mostly green with a reddish crown and a pale stripe along the throat.
Size and coloring separate it from the closely related Red-masked Parakeet, though not always easily. Larger than the similar Red-masked, Mitred Parakeets also have red feathering on the face, though it is much more spotty and patchy, and the same goes for the red found outlining the upper wings.
The two species frequently flock and roost side by side, which compounds the identification challenge, since they are often found in mixed flocks with the Mitred Parakeet, a very similar looking relative, and the similarities between the two, coupled with them flocking together, makes for difficulties identifying them correctly.
Pro Tip: When trying to tell Mitred and Red-masked Parakeets apart in the field, focus on overall body size and how patchy the red facial feathering looks rather than color alone, since lighting can make both species appear similarly bright at a distance.
Conservation status paints a more complicated picture than the thriving Florida numbers might suggest. While they thrive in Florida, Mitred Parakeets face declining populations in their native regions due to habitat loss and hunting, and conservation efforts are crucial to ensure their survival. In other words, the same species doing well in a South Florida park may be struggling in its native South American range. The bird is regionally countable as well, since Mitred Parakeet is ABA-countable in the Miami region alongside its Red-masked relative.
Miami’s suburban plantings, particularly exotic palms, give this species and its relatives plenty of food and nesting cover. This same combination of ornamental landscaping and mild winters has allowed a wide range of other adaptable, non-native species to thrive statewide, a pattern also reflected in the types of lizards now established throughout Florida.
Florida’s wild parrot populations remain a moving target. Species like the White-winged Parakeet are quietly disappearing from areas where they were common a decade ago, while Mitred and Nanday Parakeets continue expanding their range along both coasts. Over 75 species of parrots have been recorded in urban and suburban Florida, of which at least 20 species have bred in the state, so the five profiled here represent only the most consistently documented and identifiable of the bunch.
For visiting birders, the most reliable identification strategy has less to do with sight and more to do with sound. The most reliable way to locate parrots in residential neighborhoods is by driving side streets with the windows down, listening for squawking, and early morning or late afternoon are the most productive times.
Pair that approach with the identification notes above, and spotting Florida’s wild parrots becomes a matter of patience rather than luck. Readers building out a broader Florida wildlife list might also want to compare notes with the state’s native eagle species or explore the water birds that share the same parks and green spaces where these colorful parrots have made their home.