The huge nest was built on the top of a utility pole in Brookline, and the birds attracted a lot of attention. Most people (not including the electric company folks, I imagine) were disappointed to see them vanish.

Dave Freeland, a former Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania president, summarized his own and other observers’ reports in the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania Bulletin.

It’s a short story with an abrupt ending:

Summer 1972 — “Monk Parakeets bred in Pittsburgh’s Brookline section, raising at least one young bird which was on the wing with the pair of adults throughout August.”

September 1972 –”The family of Monk Parakeets at Brookline was determined to include 2 adults and 3 young; a fourth young bird is possible there.”

October 1972 — “Two adults and 3 immature Monk Parakeets continued in Pittsburgh’s Brookline section throughout October.”

November 1972 — “Two adult and 3 immature Monk Parakeets continued in Pittsburgh’s Brookline section throughout the month.”

January 1973 – “The Brookline pair of Monk Parakeets continued through January but the 3 young were no longer observed.”

March 1973 — “The Brookline Monk Parakeets constructed a second nest section to their original structure, and all 5 birds survived the winter.”

April 1973 — “The Brookline Monk Parakeets — 5 all told — began occupying both parts of a two-compartment nest.”

Summer 1973 — “The Brookline family of 5 Monk Parakeets disappeared in early June.”

The End

There will be several showings of “The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill” on different PBS stations at different times, TODAY through 1-3-11.

Here is the link to the stations and times: http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/broadcast.html