Five more local, wild parrots found dead in Southern California

Five more parrots have been found dead in a disturbing trend that has left several of the brightly-colored birds dead or wounded in the Los Angeles area.

Cleo Watts, founder of the nonprofit animal rehabilitation center Cleo’s Critter Care in Pasadena, first talked to KTLA over the weekend about recent incidents involving the birds.

“I’ve been getting a lot of phone calls for birds being shot down,” Watts told KTLA’s Jennifer McGraw. “It’s very upsetting to know that somebody would do this to these animals.”

On Monday, Watts told KTLA that five more dead parrots were found in Temple City, plus another that was badly injured.

One parrot brought into her care was missing half of a wing, according to Watts.

While Watts has been caring for many of the injured birds, she sent the latest wounded parrot to Dr. Teresa Micco in Rancho Palso Verdes for treatment. Micco confirmed that the injuries point to the birds being shot with pellet guns.

On Saturday, Watts said that the loud birds have caused some controversy of late in Pasadena, Altadena and the rest of the San Gabriel Valley. 

“We have leaf blowers, we have people with loud [car] exhausts, crying babies, barking dogs,” she said. “We don’t go shooting them. So why these guys?”

No description of a suspect, or suspects, was available.

Anyone with information about these crimes is encouraged to call their local police department. Anyone who finds an injured bird is encouraged to reach out to Watts at cleoscrittercareca@gmail.com.