Monk parakeet nest sparks brief power outage in Amityville

Polly want a blackout?

More than 800 electric customers in Amityville lost power for just under an hour Thursday after a monk parakeet nest perched atop a utility pole made contact with electrical equipment, tripping local service, PSEG Long Island said.

The birds, considered an invasive species, often build large communal nests atop poles and other equipment, a phenomenon common throughout the service area that can "cause outages and other hazards," PSEG spokeswoman Elizabeth Flagler said in an email.

The nests have been known to cause pole-top fires and equipment damage.

In Thursday’s incident, a nest that made contact with electric equipment tripped a breaker on the system on Merrick Road in Amityville, cutting off power to 711 customers for two minutes and another 833 for just under an hour, Flagler said.

PSEG, which manages the LIPA-owned system under a contract, dispatched crews to patrol overhead lines in the area as part of a "multiday effort to clear the line of additional monk parakeet nests."

Part of the effort to eradicate the nests includes monitoring common nesting areas "before they become a hazard to themselves and the electric system," Flagler said. The utility program to remove them typically takes place between October and April to avoid the birds’ breeding season.

"When removing a nest, our crews ensure that all birds have flown away before the work begins," Flagler said.

The problem is so common that PSEG has a brochure warning customers about the nests. It notes that the birds commonly attempt to return to nest areas once they’ve been removed.

"Future nest removals may be required," the utility company said, adding it’s investigating "sustainable deterrent options" to encourage the birds to safer "more natural" habitats.

By Mark Harrington

mark.harrington@newsday.comMHarringtonNews

Mark Harrington, a Newsday reporter since 1999, covers energy, wineries, Indian affairs and fisheries.