Parrot

Parrot, common name applied to any of about 340 species of brightly colored birds that make up the parrot family. Groups of parrots that have their own common names include the cockatoos, lories, lovebirds, macaws, and parakeets. In length, parrots range from the buff-faced pygmy parrot of New Guinea at 8.4 cm (3.3 in) to the hyacinth macaw of South America at 100 cm (39.4 in). A large part of the macaw's length is attributable to its long tail, and it is probably outweighed by the very large (60 cm/23.6 in) but short-tailed palm cockatoo of New Guinea.

Parrots have curved, hooked bills and short legs. Their toes are zygodactyl,-that is, the first and fourth are turned backward. They walk awkwardly but are excellent climbers, often using their bills to pull themselves up to a higher branch. In most parrots the tongue is thick and muscular, used deftly for manipulating seeds, which, with fruit, are their principal food. In the lories the tongue is longer and has a brushlike tip for feeding on nectar.

Most parrots are tropical, with only a few species reaching northern and southern temperate areas. The areas of greatest diversity include South America, Australia, and New Guinea and adjacent islands. Relatively few species inhabit Africa or mainland Asia.

The predominant body color in the family is green, but there are many exceptions. Some American parrots are predominantly blue or yellow, and many have touches of red in the plumage as well. The most colorful parrots are the lories, in which reds and greens predominate, but blue, purple, brown, yellow, and black also appear. The cockatoos are mostly white or black, with touches of yellow, red, or pink. Virtually all parrots are hole-nesters, using holes in trees, termite mounds, rock cavities, or ground tunnels. The main exception is the monk parakeet of temperate South America, which builds large nests of sticks. In most populations, these are communal nests, with each pair having its own entrance to a structure that can become large and heavy enough to break the branches on which it is placed. In the mid-20th century, many monk parakeets were imported to the United States as cage birds. Some escaped, and many owners, finding their pets unbearably noisy, simply released them. Well adapted to the temperate climate, they bred and formed colonies in several parts of the United States, but in most areas an effort was made to destroy the feral populations, as this species is known to be a serious pest in agricultural areas of its native habitat.

Parrots cages

The heavy demands of the cage-bird trade, together with loss of habitat, have resulted in many species of parrots becoming endangered. ThoUKnds of parrots are brought into Europe and North America annually, both legally and illegally, and many do not survive the journey. In most countries the capture, export, and import of parrots are strictly regulated, but the laws are difficult to enforce. Ideally, only those parrots that have been bred in captivity should be kept as pets.

Scientific classification: Parrots make up the family Psittacidae. The buff-faced pygmy parrot is classified as Micropsitta pusio, the hyacinth macaw as Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus, the short-tailed palm cockatoo as Probosciger aterrimus. The monk parakeet is classified as Myiopsitta monachus, and the African gray parrot as Psittacus erithacus. Amazons make up the genus Amazona.