The Exotic Birds of Brussels

Every decade or so some people think of Brussels.  Usually the thought of beer, chocolate, and waffles instantly come to mind because those are the three things Belgium is famous for.  I admit that I had run into a few generalizations after living here a few months.  One of them is, this is a very dreary, rainy place that never gets hot and is void of tropical birds.

I was wrong on that one, not the dreary or rainy part but the bird part.

When I had my first sighting at Malou Park I was sure it was a fluke.  A pet escaped from a window, surely there is not an entire population of tropical birds living in a city that hit 80 degrees only once in an entire year.  

Then I went three miles away to Cinquantenaire Parc and sure enough there were more tropical birds.  Big green birds with orange beaks.  If I didn't know better I would say they were parakeets or parrots.

Turns out, they are parakeets, Monk Parakeets.

Here is the back story of how they came to Brussels.  Apparently in 1975 an amusement park manager let 50 Monk Parakeets go.  The population didn't increase right away but around 2007 there were finally enough of them to have an explosion and now they are everywhere.  The local peeps say they might have to get rid of some because they are a threat to the local bird population.

Somehow the tropical birds have adapted to the cold and are thriving in Brussels.  Maybe there is hope for me after all.