Monk parakeets develop a unique voice to navigate social life

Monk parakeets stand out for their lively chatter in city parks. They are originally from South America but have adapted well to urban environments, often roosting and breeding in large communal nests.

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Monk parakeets develop a unique voice to navigate social life
05-09-2025
Monk parakeets develop a unique voice to navigate social life
Jordan Joseph
ByJordan Joseph
Earth.com staff writer
Monk parakeets stand out for their lively chatter in city parks. They are originally from South America but have adapted well to urban environments, often roosting and breeding in large communal nests.

After watching these birds for a while, it is hard not to notice the range of sounds they produce. They seem to greet each other with whistles, screeches, and abrupt squawks that vary from one bird to the next, and they interact across tree canopies and open lawns.

Parakeet vocal diversity and social bonds
Many people might think that parrots squawk randomly. Yet researchers discovered that an individual with more companions also has a more varied set of sounds.

“This research is a really important first step,” said Simeon Smeele from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior. He and his team studied hundreds of monk parakeets over a two-year period in Barcelona.

The experts mapped how each bird connected with the others, noting which individuals spent time together and which ones nested side by side. The group found that birds living in larger social units tended to use a broader mix of call types.

Female calls in social settings
One detail turned heads. Females produced more types of calls than males did.

“It really looks like there are some call types that are used uniquely in social situations. And it’s really interesting to see that females appear to produce more of these, suggesting they are the more social sex,” stated Smeele.