Brooklyn College is shelling out a cool $3.3 million on their new athletic field, you know, so people can do athletic things, but nevermind about them—the winners here are the flock of exotic monk parakeets that hang by the field, too. Because birds are totally fitness freaks.
The parakeets, aka Quaker parrots, nest atop the light poles at the current field, where bird-lovers have been enjoying their soothing squawks for years. Now, the college is dropping cash money to build special platforms to accommodate their nests, and they'll be left along during their mating period and harsh winter months. "Although the monk parakeets are not native to Brooklyn, they are beloved," said college spokesman Jeremy Thompson. "Their health and safety is of great concern to us."
Of course, there are practical considerations to take into account for all of this: as one Brooklyn College student puts it: "Are they going to poop? Birds tend to produce waste. If it's a field where people are going to do athletics, it could be problematic." Beyond poop, there's the issue of noise, and, well, bird-on-bird violence:
