Early Birds

Since the 1960s, wild parrots have been living in Brooklyn.

WHILE WALKING through Brooklyn's brownstone-lined streets, you may come across one of its odder residents: wild parrots. While there are many theories-the most credible is that they escaped from a mishandled box imported from overseas-nobody really knows how these birds (known as Quaker Parrots or Monk Parakeets) ended up in NYC's most populous borough. Steve Baldwin, who leads the Brooklyn Wild Parrot Safari, reveals how to best view these birds:

WHERE: "The most spectacular place to see the parrots is at Green-Wood Cemetery. They've built massive nests right at the main gate of the cemetery."

WHEN: "Bird watching is best in the early morning and the late aft ernoon. These parrots seem to be active throughout the day, so you don't have to be an 'up at 6am' type of person to enjoy them."

BRING: "I encourage people to bring binoculars so they can get a good view of the parrots as they build their nests. A camera is also good, although you really need a telephoto lens to get a good picture."

AVOID: "For reasons that nobody really understands, the parrots don't like the color orange, so I advise people not to wear bright orange clothing."

The next Brooklyn Wild Parrot Safari is July 11. www.brooklynparrots.com.