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Come join us in-store at Wild Birds Unlimited: Santa Monica for a talk concerning our local parrot populations hosted by Brenda Ramirez from the Moore Lab of Zoology at Occidental College.Non-native parrots have become a very present and boisterous element of the urban ecosystems of Southern California. They range across the region from cities to natural areas and can be found in a variety of habitats, coexisting with people.
Through the Free-Flying Los Angeles Parrot Project (FLAPP) on iNaturalist, a data set has been created focusing on two prominent species in Southern California, the Red-Crowned and Lilac-Crowned Parrots.
These two parrots originally were from opposite coasts of Mexico and never mixed in the wild. However, after being introduced through the illegal pet trade, these sister species have established their populations and have even created mixed-species flocks that would not be possible otherwise.
That's why they are model organisms for answering questions on range shifts and hybridization. Their unique displacement to Los Angeles has led them to coexist for the first time.
In the past, research has been focused on distinguishing the two species based on morphological features, comparing the environmental conditions of their native ranges in Mexico and their introduced range here in Southern California. Now, the focus is shifting to understanding how their genetic makeup has been affected by their new environment and interbreeding.
Learn how you can contribute to their research with iNaturalist from your own neighborhoods! And, join FLAPP on iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/free-flying-los-angeles-parrot-project)
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12433 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90025, 12433 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025-1005, United States,Los Angeles, California, Santa Monica
