Amid Audubon outcry, Austin Energy says parakeet removal is safety issue

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Travis Audubon Society has put Austin Energy on notice after, they said in a Thursday Facebook post, the company is using poles to knock Monk Parakeet nests from power poles.
Austin Energy, in a Friday morning press gathering, explained that the Monk Parakeets build large nests, sometimes as large as a car, which can cause a large fire hazard. Austin Energy said the nests, often made of sticks and other combustible material, arc, catch fire and fall to the ground.
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