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Today's #ParrotOTD is the Carolina Parakeet, the species I have studied the most! They were the US's only endemic parrot species, surviving through blisteringly cold winters in the midwest. Much about them remains a mystery. Here's a thread about them and what I have learned: (1)
(2) The first question most people ask me is: how and when did they go extinct? The latter question is easier to answer. They likely went extinct in the mid-1940s but it appears the two subspecies went extinct ~30 years apart! https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/801142v1
(3) Before we could start trying to figure anything out, we had to collect data. But, how do you collect data on an extinct species? The answer is reading lots of old books. I was able to find ~860 observations & specimens w/ enough info to find on a map. https://bdj.pensoft.net/articles.php?id=25280
(4) Using these data, we were able to reconstruct the ranges of the two subspecies and determine their seasonal movements! Their range was considerably smaller than previously thought and we confirmed that they moved into warmer areas in the winter! https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ece3.3135
(5) But, we still don't really know what drove this parrot to extinct. All of the (3) people who have studied this species in-depth over the last 70 years think disease played the largest role, but there is no concrete evidence. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/the-mysterious-and-tragic-story-of-the-carolina-parakeet-americas-only-native-parrot/2018/03/30/4b3c5226-32a2-11e8-8abc-22a366b72f2d_story.html
(6) I continue working (slowly) on trying to determine the main cause of their extinction. Learning about their extinction isn't merely an academic exercise. #Parrots are one of the most threatened groups of birds and anything we can learn to help protect them is valuable!
(7) I'm continually fascinated by this #ParrotOTD and their little quirks, like hanging from their beaks while sleeping, ability to eat toxic plant seeds, and especially all of the lore surrounding them. They had a wild and sad journey but I'm honored to help bring it to life.
