Hermosa Beach, CA–If you’ve ever spent time around Pier Plaza in Hermosa Beach, you’ve likely heard the unmistakable squawks of wild parrots echoing through the palm trees. These vibrant birds, with their vivid green feathers and raucous calls, have become a familiar sight in the area. But how did they get here? One intriguing theory traces their origins to a place many miles away—a long-gone bird sanctuary in Van Nuys.
A Colorful History
Back in the late 1960s and 1970s, the Busch Gardens theme park in Van Nuys was a lush, tropical paradise adjacent to the Anheuser-Busch brewery. The park boasted not only beautiful gardens and boat rides but also a bird sanctuary filled with exotic species, particularly parrots. When Busch Gardens closed its doors in 1979, the future of its avian residents became uncertain. While many of the birds were relocated to other facilities like the Los Angeles Zoo or the Busch Gardens parks in Tampa and Williamsburg, rumors have persisted that some of the parrots were released into the wild by their caretakers.
The Rumor Mill
The idea that some parrots from Busch Gardens might have been set free has taken on a life of its own in local lore. It’s easy to see why—Southern California is home to several large, thriving populations of wild parrots, including those that now reside around Pier Plaza. The climate here is well-suited to these tropical birds, and the abundance of food sources, particularly from fruit-bearing trees and palm nuts, provides an ideal habitat.
Connecting the Dots
Could the parrots of Pier Plaza be descendants of the birds from Busch Gardens? It’s possible. Although there is no definitive evidence to prove this connection, the timing and proximity are suggestive. The closure of the Van Nuys bird sanctuary in the late 1970s coincides with the period when feral parrot populations began to take off in Southern California.
Furthermore, the behavior of these parrots—flocking together in large numbers, roosting in palm trees, and thriving in an urban environment—mirrors the conditions they would have experienced in the controlled environment of a bird sanctuary. It’s not a stretch to imagine that some of these birds, finding themselves suddenly free, adapted to their new circumstances and found a way to survive and even flourish in the wild.
An Enduring Mystery
While the exact origins of the Pier Plaza parrots may remain a mystery, the theory that they could be linked to the old Busch Gardens bird sanctuary adds a fascinating layer to their story. It’s a reminder of how interconnected our urban wildlife can be with human history, and how the actions of a few people decades ago might still be visible today in the skies above Hermosa Beach.
As these parrots continue to squawk and chatter, bringing a touch of the exotic to the South Bay, it’s worth taking a moment to consider the journey they—or their ancestors—might have taken. From the lush gardens of Van Nuys to the palm-lined streets of Hermosa Beach, the parrots of Pier Plaza are a living connection to a forgotten chapter of Southern California’s past.
And so, the next time you hear their calls or see them swooping through the air, remember: these birds might just be the last remnants of a lost world, one that once thrived in the heart of the San Fernando Valley.