We think of parrots as living in the tropics, but at one time North America had its own native parrot species, the Carolina Parakeet, that lived as far north as Ohio.

Several factors including habitat loss, hunting from farmers who wanted to keep them away from crops, and their desirable feathers for ladies' hats at the time led to the parakeet's demise.

The last parakeet, Incas, died in 1918 in the Cincinnati Zoo, in the same cage that Martha the passenger pigeon had died in 4 years earlier. Incas's mate, Lady Jane, died just before, and the speculation was that Incas died of a broken heart.

Although the Carolina parakeet was the only parrot species native to North America, escaped pet Monk Parakeets from South America have flourished in pockets of the U.S. where the Carolina parakeet used to live, including New York City.