The Atlas Obscura Podcast · Tuesday, September 1, 2026
The cliffs of El Condor in Patagonia are home to a massive colony of burrowing parrots, estimated at 37,000 nests, which means approximately 74,000 adult birds. The sheer number of parrots creates a deafening sound, sometimes more taxing than the physical work of studying them.
“The parrot colony we are talking about 37,000 nests, which means 74,000 adults flying around, which produce between two and five chicks. Well, it's many, many thousands of birds over 100,000.”
“Some days, you get more tired from the sound of the parrots than from the work itself.”