This fall Saint Patrick High School has hosted some unusual green guests. A group of bright green parrots have been feeding on the grass of the field behind the school at Belmont and Austin each morning.

The birds are monk parakeets, a breed of bird native to South America, that have managed to establish feral colonies around the United States. Monk parakeet colonies have been discovered in the following states: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Virginia.

Monk parakeets were first spotted in Chicago in 1973, and a large colony settled in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood. A 1998 study found 48 nests housing approximately 166 monk parakeets in Hyde Park. The birds build large bulky communal nests (as large as 10 feet in width) and can easily be located by the extremely loud squawking that accompanies such a home.

These birds have faced some opposition in the past. Monk parakeets are viewed as major agricultural pests in Argentina, and ComEd has had a problem with them in Chicago. Their large nests, many built on utility poles, might be a fire hazard if they interfere with electrical equipment.