Parrots

Scarlet macaws amongst the trees

The parrots is an order of birds which includes cockatoos, budgerigars and parakeets. Most species live in the tropics. However, there are native parrot species in New Zealand, and there are feral populations of ring-necked parakeets living wild in Britain.

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Family

  • Cacatuidae Little corella (species)

  • New Zealand parrots (Nestoridae)

    New Zealand parrots are the kakapo, the kea and the one surviving species of kaka. They are all threatened by both habitat loss and predation by introduced species such as rats, possums and stoats.

  • True parrots (Psittacidae)

    The true parrot family includes among its many members the macaws, lorikeets and lovebirds. Species in this family eat mostly seeds, though fruit, nuts and other foods are also consumed.

About

Parrots, also known as psittacines (pronounced /ˈsɪtəsaɪnz/), are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most warm and tropical regions. The order is subdivded in three families: the Psittacidae ('true' parrots), the Cacatuidae (cockatoos) and the Strigopidae (New Zealand parrots). Parrots have a pan-tropical distribution with several species inhabiting the temperate Southern Hemisphere as well. The greatest diversity of parrots is found in South America and Australasia.

Characteristic features of parrots include a strong curved bill, an upright stance, strong legs, and clawed zygodactyl feet. Most parrots are predominantly green, with other bright colors, and some species are multi-colored. Cockatoo species range from mostly white to mostly black, and have a mobile crest of feathers on the top of their heads. Most parrots are monomorphic or minimally sexually dimorphic. They are the most variably sized bird order in terms of length.

The most important components of most parrots' diets are seeds, nuts, fruit, buds and other plant material, and a few species also eat insects and small animals, and the lories and lorikeets are specialised to feed on nectar from flowers, and soft fruits. Almost all parrots nest in tree holes (or nest boxes in captivity), and lay white eggs from which emerge altricial (helpless) young.

Parrots, along with ravens, crows, jays and magpies, are some of the most intelligent birds, and the ability of some parrot species to imitate human voices enhances their popularity as pets. Trapping of wild parrots for the pet trade, as well as other hunting, habitat loss and competition from invasive species, have diminished wild populations, and parrots have been subjected to more exploitation than any other group of birds. Recent conservation measures to conserve the habitats of some of the high-profile charismatic parrot species has also protected many of the less charismatic species living in the ecosystem.

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Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Animal (animalia)

Phylum: Chordate (Chordata)

Class: Bird (Aves)

Order: Parrot (Psittaciformes)

Other Aves

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