This is where you can find green parrots in Athens
Squawk alert! In the center of Athens it's parrots, not pigeons, who rule the skies
Pigeons? They’re for the birds. Athens is home to a thriving population of perky parrots! They have green feathers and long tails. They are loud.
According to our friends at the Stavros Niarchos Cultural Center, the parrots that we usually encounter in Athens are the ringneck parrot and the monk parrot.
The ringneck parrot loves tall pine trees and constructs beautiful nests with twigs skillfully knit. We recognize it by its voice, short tail, small beak, and grayish belly.
(Editor’s note: ringnecks also have bright red beaks).
The monk parrot is bright green and has a soft spot for tree hollows, where it builds its nests. We immediately distinguish it from its piercing voice, its red beak and its long and narrow green tail.
Currently, there is a large population of parrots in Athens. The monk parrots were the first to colonize the National Garden while the ringneck parrots came later, but the ones sighted more often now are the latter. Monk parrots never come down to the ground to eat; they are content with the fruits they find on trees.
Both species are now considered official Greek species and are included in the list of Greek released species.
The best places to observe both kinds of parrots are in the National Garden, especially the southern perimeter, and in the adjacent neighborhood of Pagrati.
Pagrati is also home to the wonderful Goulandris Museum, which hosted American travel writer and author Pam Price last June.
Said Ms. Price, “When I walked to the Goulandris to have a firsthand look at the extraordinary collection, which includes Van Gogh and Picasso and of course El Greco, I noticed green parrots flying just past the museum’s entrance — clearly these birds have excellent taste!”
But should you attempt to feed these jade colored beauties? Well, no.
We reached out to a renowned ornithologist, the Washington, D.C.-based Arthur Thomas, who said, “Parrots can take of their themselves, otherwise they wouldn’t be flourishing in densely packed urban environments like Athens.” He added, “offering seeds or snacks to a monk parrot would be like offering cooking lessons to a French chef — don’t do it, unless maybe you want to get pooped on.”
Greek Column recommends a walk through the National Garden between approximately 8:00AM to 10:00AM for the best chance of Greek parrot sightings.
