YACOLT, Ore. - We usually see them at pet shops, but residents in Washington are noticing a colony of parrots that are taking over power poles.

Quaker parrots are now calling Washington their home. As many as two dozen of the birds with half a dozen nests could be causing a short circuit to the power lines.

Local resident James Weldon noticed a year and a half ago that a few of the birds were at his back yard feeder.

"From there on, we started counting four, then six, then eight and the highest counted was 16" he said.

Clark Public Utilities has tried taking the nests down, but the birds put them right back up.

The company settled for trimming the nests back, because so many people want to see the birds stay.

"I drive by here every once in awhile to see them, to look at them, I catch one once in awhile." said Harold Cooley.

"The last I knew, there were probably 50 people or more who signed this petition to find a way to keep our parrots" said Weldon.

The latest effort has been to put up other nesting platforms, away from the power boxes.

Wherever these parrots came from, they seem to have found a home.

Related link:

Learn more about Quaker parrots