Mike in the Wild

It seems that people aren't the only species that enjoy the comfort and convenience of city living.  Many birds flock to urban areas for the same reasons as us, crowding new locales as non-native guests.   Ever-present rock pigeons, house sparrows and starlings are all immigrants not just to our cities, but to the North American continent, having arrived with Europeans centuries ago. In Phoenix we have a more recent settler filling our parks and yards - the rosy-faced lovebird.  Native to the arid regions of southwest Africa, this relative of the parrot and cockatoo is bred and sold as a caged pet.  In the past decades, enough pairs either escaped or were released into the wild to create multiple breeding colonies.   A few hours outside on a nice day in one of the city's many manicured parks or neighborhoods might just guarantee an encounter with these noisy, flocking birds. The thriving lovebirds seem to enjoy munching on both the native and backyard blooms available year