RGV parrots go prime time

A breed of parrots that draws birders from around the world to Harlingen has now sparked the interest of a Fox television program.

Camera crews scoured the city in late September for a glimpse of the bird.

Birding Adventures TV, which airs locally on Fox Sports Southwest, has completed a profile on the red crowned parrot that was filmed in Harlingen.

"Red crowned parrots are one of the very threatened parrots around the world; there are actually believed to be only about 1,500 birds left in their native Mexico due to trade and habitat loss," James Currie, the show’s host, said.

The parrot is a green bird with bright red plumage just above the beak on top of the head. The birds can commonly be seen bunched along power lines in the city.

"It’s amazing to see how these birds are thriving in a place like Harlingen," Currie said.

Marci Fuller, chairwoman of the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival, said the birds serve as a "big economic boon" which contributes to millions of dollars spent locally by birders each year.

"The … parrot is one of our 30 special species that we have here in the Valley that you can find nowhere else in the United States," she said.

Currie said that the birds’ origins are a topic of hot dispute among birding experts, who disagree on whether the parrots are naturally wild or are descendants of escaped domesticated varieties.

"Nonetheless, the residents of Harlingen can be incredibly proud that they’ve got these birds in their neighborhoods. They’re just beautiful amazing parrots and just quite an amazing thing to have right in your backyards," he said.

Harlingen Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Nydia Tapia-Gonzales said she was happy "to be able to showcase the city on a national level."

"We put our city on the map, especially when it comes to bird and nature lovers," she said.

Those who do not receive Fox Sports Southwest can watch the Harlingen episode of Birding Adventures TV at www.birdingadventures.com.