Runaway Parakeet Mei Mei Survives Central Park, Finds New Home at Sanctuary

A bright green-and-yellow budgerigar named Mei Mei spent roughly 10 weeks flying through Central Park with a flock of sparrows, evading predators, cold fronts, and the nets of would-be rescuers before birder JP Borum finally dropped a net on her one cool fall morning in October. After months of quarantine inside Borum's Manhattan apartment and treatment for a common parasite infection, Mei Mei has settled into her permanent home at Foster Parrots sanctuary in Rhode Island, where she joined a flock of approximately 130 rescued birds including doves, finches, canaries, and plenty of fellow budgerigars.

Veterinarians estimate Mei Mei to be a little more than one year old. Her name, which means "little sister" in Mandarin, suits the scrappy survivor well. Budgerigars are native to Australia and cannot endure New York winters without an environment maintained at around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, making her extended outdoor stay all the more remarkable. She adapted by mirroring the flighty, evasive behavior of the sparrows she traveled with, a strategy that kept her alive but made her extraordinarily difficult to catch.

Rescuers JP Borum and a collaborator named Sean spent weeks tracking Mei Mei through Central and Morningside Parks, with help from other birders and park-goers, before the October capture finally succeeded. World Animal Protection, which closely followed Mei Mei's story, helped arrange her transfer to Foster Parrots after the quarantine period concluded.

"People often forget these little birds are extremely intelligent, extremely social. Just her ability to survive for 10 weeks was pretty astonishing," said Liz Cabrera Holtz, senior programs manager for World Animal Protection.

Aside from the parasite infection, Mei Mei emerged from her time outdoors in good condition. At Foster Parrots, described by World Animal Protection as one of the country's premier sanctuaries, she now has room to flock, forage, and play alongside other rescued parrots for the first time. "Mei Mei will live the rest of her life in peace with other rescued parrots at a place that has to meet extremely stringent care standards," Holtz said.

World Animal Protection has used Mei Mei's story to draw attention to what the organization describes as widespread mistreatment in the bird trade. "We don't know whether Mei Mei was abandoned or escaped, but she was likely born in a bird mill, trapped in a small, dirty cage with thousands of other parrots. From there, she would have been shipped hundreds of miles to a pet store and then confined to a small cage," the organization stated. World Animal Protection and Voters for Animal Rights are pushing for legislation to ban the retail sale of birds in New York City pet stores, and the organization is simultaneously pressuring major corporations to stop selling birds entirely.

Parakeets like Mei Mei, World Animal Protection notes, are among the most exploited parrots in the U.S. pet industry. Her landing at Foster Parrots, with 129 rescued companions and the possibility of a lifelong bond, since budgies mate for life, represents the outcome advocates hope to secure for far more birds than currently reach sanctuary.