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.
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Amazona guildingi Although clumsy on the ground and in the air,
this
talking blue parrot is a good climber, the most critical skill for
life in the
forest. It is named for its home range, the Caribbean island of
Saint Vincent.
Biologists believe that the bird, which is 40 centimeters
(15.7 inches) long
with a yellow-and-orange beak, will soon be extinct. |
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.
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Sun conure is the common name of Aratinga solstitialis, a
parrot found in
northeastern Brazil, Suriname, Guyana,
and Venezuela. It is bright yellow with
green, orange,
and some blue markings. A stocky bird, it is
about 33 cm (13 in)
in length. It also has a loud call |
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.
The ability of many parrots to imitate the human voice and
other extrinsic sounds is one reason for their popularity as pets. The best of
these is the African gray parrot, a 30-cm (12-in) gray bird with a short red
tail. Experiments have shown that individuals of this species may have cognitive
abilities equal to those of porpoises and primates. Among American parrots the
best talkers are the amazons.
The heavy demands of the cage-bird trade, together with
loss of habitat, have resulted in many species of parrots becoming endangered.
Thousands 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.