From Cage to Condo: Monk Parakeets in Chicago and Parrots in America. Steve Pruett-Jones will talk about the history and current status of the monk parakeet in Chicago and about parrots generally in the United States. There were previously two native species of parrots in the USA, both of which are now extinct. In contrast, we now have 23 species of introduced naturalized parrots, all now thriving here. Where these species came from, how they survive here, the effects that they are having, and the controversy surrounding them will be the focus of the talk. Steve is a faculty member at the University of Chicago and works both in Australia and North America on the biology and behavior of birds. He has studied the parakeets in Chicago since 1988.  Evanston Ecology Center, 2024 McCormick Blvd. 7:30 pm. Free and open to the public.