Huge nest. Small bird. How parakeets are wreaking havoc on Long Island

Huge nest. Small bird. How parakeets are wreaking havoc on Long Island

A colony of parakeets is making a stir in a Long Island community over concerns that their giant nests — which can weigh hundreds of pounds and grow to 10 feet in diameter — pose an ongoing power outage threat. The nests, visible on utility poles high above Montauk Highway in Lindenhurst, are home to monk parakeets: birds with bright green plumage. Also called Quaker parrots, they’re about 11 to 13 inches from head to tail tip. The monk parrots …