Northern New Jersey is known for its beautiful nature and wild animals. In Edgewater, that wonder is continued. Walking or driving around the shopping compounds or residential buildings near Edgewater, you may often see squadrons of small green birds congregating on power lines or flying around agilely. Even for those who are bad at bird spotting, they are hard to miss. Just listen to their loud, signature screech. Their round, fluffy shapes and bright green colors seem to belong more to a lush, tropical environment than an urban setting, and often make a bird spotter wonder what they just see. These are Quaker parrots and they’ve made Edgewater, NJ home. Read on to learn more about these unique birds and how they ended up in Bergen County, New Jersey.
About Quaker Parrots
These are Quaker parrots — also called monk parrots — and a large flock of them have been living in the Edgewater area for decades. Originally from South America and now living in a wide variety of habits in North America, it has never been confirmed how such a large colony of parrots was first established in Bergen County. The most accepted speculation was that some birds escaped from a shipping crate from the JFK airport in the 1970s.
These are sedentary birds. Once they find a steady source of the food supply of grass seeds, which Edgewater has plenty of (in Veterans Field Park, for example), they can settle down in one place and not venture far from it.
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They are resilient to the cold climate in Northeast America, and as a communal species have a nimble mechanism for managing the size of the flock. Quaker parrots are easy breeders but when the nests get too crowded and the food supply is tight, some female birds will skip breeding for one season. With all these favorable conditions, the parrots made Edgewater their new home, and have been a local fixture for more than 40 years.
Causing a Stir
Local residents have long taken notice of these gorgeous guys. Bird enthusiasts often put out bird feeders in winter, when food is harder to find for the parrots. Most people simply enjoy seeing these little fluffy, neon-green birds, which are so different from the pigeons more often encountered in urban living.
“They are so sweet and beautiful! They make the neighborhood beautiful with nature and the blue under their wings.” a Facebook user commented in a group called “Save the Wild Quaker Parrots of New Jersey”. Yes, there is indeed a Facebook group dedicated to these birds, which has surprisingly 4,800+ members and maintains a relatively active posting frequency.
The posts largely consist of parrot photos and parrot videos, with a lot of oohs and ahhs in the comment section from bird lovers. More “serious” content, such as wild parrot protection tips and calls for legislative changes, are often posted as well.
Challenges as a Species
These birds, however, are not without detractors. The bird is still on the Department of Environmental Protection’s list of potentially dangerous species, (which also includes bears) since these South-American-originated birds are considered an invasive species.
Officials are afraid that they would jeopardize indigenous species and damage crops — and because of this, people are not allowed to adopt a wild Quaker parrot and keep it as a pet. However, according to Ali Fragale, the owner of the Facebook page mentioned above, “There is a bill in the state legislature presently to remove the parrots from New Jersey’s list of potentially dangerous species.”
She explained, “They were put on the list to monitor them when they first appeared in New Jersey in the late 1960s. They were imported as would-be pets, and New Jersey Fish and Wildlife wasn’t sure what to do with them, so they put them on that list for the purposes of monitoring them. That was over 45 years ago, and they have not harmed crops or indigenous bird species.”
A more material crackdown, however, comes from utility companies. The Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) removes parrot nests from utility poles twice a year. The parrots love the heat generated by the utility equipment and are prone to build their homes on the poles.
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However, the round-shaped, structurally complex nests made of twigs can be a fire hazard and need to be managed. In recent years, PSE&G has been working with local volunteers and animal rescue groups to work out better removal methods and schedules that minimize disruptions to the flock’s breeding activities.
Next time you’re in Edgewater, keep an eye out for these little green parrots, and follow @thebergencountygirl on Instagram for more local fun.
This Italian Bakery in Lyndhurst Has Been Serving Treats Since 1948
In just about every New Jersey town, Italian and Italian-American cuisine can be found. From delis to pizzerias and ristorantes to pastry shops, the streets are flooded with cannolis and homemade sauce (or gravy). Those passing by the storefront of 265 Ridge Road in Lyndhurst might wonder who the cartoonish rendering of a man surrounded by dessert is. The answer is Gerardo “Jerry” Lanzerotti Sr. In 1948, he opened the Lyndhurst Pastry Shop, and after 75 years, this family-owned business continues to serve pastries, cookies, bread, and baked goods using family recipes from Sicily. Read on to learn about Lyndhurst Pastry Shop in Lyndhurst, New Jersey.
Store Origins + the Lanzerotti Family
Lyndhurst Pastry Shop’s story began in 1915 when Anthony Lanzerotti arrived at Ellis Island from Catania, Sicily. He worked in numerous Brooklyn bakeries and eventually purchased DeFeo’s Pastry Shop in Jersey City. In 1948, his sons Jerry, Anthony Jr., and Joseph opened a store of their own in Bergen County called the Lyndhurst Pastry Shop.
About a decade later, in 1957, Jerry Sr. and Joseph decided to split up because one shop could not support both their families. Jerry Sr. stayed in Northern New Jersey, moving across the street to a larger spot, while Joseph settled in Brooklyn, New York.
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Jerry Sr. and his wife Vincenza also moved above the shop and raised their three sons — Butch, Chuck, and Jerry Jr. — who grew up working alongside their father. After 75 years, this Lyndhurst food landmark is still in the Lanzerotti family. Jerry Sr. and Vincenza’s children and grandchildren keep the store in the family by handling marketing, community outreach, counter service, cake decoration, and more.
What’s on the Menu
The Lyndhurst Pastry Shop makes cupcakes, cookies, pastries, Italian ice, various baked goods, and seasonal favorites. Classic cookies include pignoli, chocolate chip, sesame seed, butter, Savoiardi, and Anisette Toast. When it comes to pastries, a cannoli is always necessary, and at Lyndhurst Pastry Shop, they also come chocolate-covered. Other pastries served here include sfogliatelle, eclairs, pasticiotti, and cream puffs. There are also over ten types of pie, like mince meat, blueberry crumb, and apple.
Fresh bread includes semolina, seedless rye, hard rolls, and long and round Italian bread. We suggest pairing these with olive oil, pasta, or using them to make deli meat sandwiches. Other items include specialty cakes for events, fudge brownies, a California fruit tart, cheesecake, turnovers, muffins, croissants, doughnuts, and taralles. Taralles are a wheat-based cracker popular in Southern Italy that can be sweet or savory. Lyndhurst Pastry Shop features four flavors: original, hot, garlic, and pizza.
Italian Ice from Lyndhurst Pastry Shop is a must-have for any time of year. This spot serves both cream-based Italian Ice and ice-based. Ice flavors are fruity and citrus and come in grape, cherry, lemon, lime, orange, pineapple, and watermelon. Cream-based flavors are made with milk powder and feature fruity and chocolate flavors like cannoli cream, coconut, chocolate chip mint, mango, mint cookie crumble, pina colada, and strawberry cheesecake.
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Like any good dessert spot, The Lyndhurst Pastry Shop bakes seasonal and holiday treats. For Easter, this spot makes White Pie, Easter Bread, Pizzagaina, and butter cookies. For Saint Patrick’s Day, it serves up Irish Soda Bread, and just two days later, for Saint Joseph’s Day, it makes Sfinge and Zeppole. In the autumn months, expect delicious pumpkin pie and pumpkin muffins, and for the Christmas season, make sure to order the Struffoli.
