Wild parrot found shot in Ocean Beach

Members of a parrot rescue organization are wondering who shot a red-crowned Amazon parrot that was found wounded in Ocean Beach this summer.

The bird, which is considered a candidate for the endangered species list by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was found June 8 near Sacred Heart Church on Saratoga Avenue near Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, said Amanda Plante, spokeswoman for SoCal Parrot.

Ocean Beach resident Ann Hornby, who has a pet parrot of her own, captured the bird by throwing a towel over it after it resisted all attempts to pick it up. She said it growled and screeched and tried to fly away but it just flopped on the ground. She took it home, gave it some food and water and then it “promptly fell asleep,” Hornby said. She then called Project Wildlife which in turn notified SoCal Parrot. Hornby thought the bird possibly had a broken wing.

However, X-rays showed the bird had been shot with some kind of pellet or BB gun, and that the projectile was deeply embedded near its neck and shoulder area.

It’s not known when the bird was shot but it appears that it had been on the ground for some time as the wound had already started to heal, said Plante.

The parrot was malnourished and had grease on his chest that smelled like some type of cooking oil. Plante said she had no idea how the oil got on the bird, that perhaps someone was trying to help it somehow, or maybe it got into some trash.

It has since been nursed back to health but it can no longer fly, Plante said.

Wild parrots are a common sight in the beach area and several parts of the county, said Plante. There is no exact count as to their numbers but Plante said there are more that 1,000 and that people have reported seeing flocks of 100 or more. There are 13 different species in Southern California including mitred and red-masked conures and the lilac-crowned Amazon. They are known for their bright colors and their loud squawking.

Plante speculated that perhaps the person who shot the bird was unhappy about the noise.

“I know the majority of the OB community really love the parrots,” said Plante. “There are probably just a few people who are annoyed at them at 5:30 in the morning and want to sleep.”

The subject was the topic at the Wednesday night meeting of the Ocean Beach Town Council after members became concerned the town’s famous “squawk squad” was being threatened by those they termed as “dastardly individuals.”

Plante said she attended the meeting and when she asked the audience if they loved the bird, almost everyone raised their hands.

Hornby, who has lived in Ocean Beach for 25 years, said she is enchanted with the wild parrots and that most people she knows like them as well.

“I haven’t met anyone that says they hate them,” she said. As for the noise, she said, even crows can be a loud nuisance.

The red-crowned Amazon, which is native to Mexico, can live to 60 to 80 years old, Plante said. The bird will remain at the sanctuary for the rest of its life, said Plante.

Without any witnesses to the shooting it is unlikely that anything will be done, said county Department of Animal Services Lt. Dan DeSousa. If someone was caught, however, the person could be subject to animal cruelty charges, he said.

Anyone who witnesses someone harming a bird or any other animal can call animal services at (619) 767-2675.

More information about the SoCal Parrot organization can be found here.