Facts About Parrots

Prom-Dresses

Parrots happen to be some of the most colorful and attractive bird species in the animal kingdom. With this article, I wish to give you a glimpse of some crucial facts and interesting features of these birds.
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Fact about parrots
Birds of the same feather, flock together!
Prom-Dresses
This proverb often sets me imagining a huge flock of green colored parrots and multicolored macaws on some of the highest branches of trees during the spring season. Although these parrots make really loud noise, their huge flocks can look really attractive. Let us understand these beautiful creatures in a little more detail.

Parrot Families

Parrots can be classified under the order Psittaciformes of Animalia Kingdom. The current research shows that, some 372 species of approximately 86 genera of parrots exist as of today. There are three broad superfamilies in which parrots are classified. Let us have a look at them.


Psittacoidea

This superfamily is often quoted to be the 'True Parrots'. This is because, geographically, they happen to be most widely spread.
Species under this superfamily are prominently found in countries of the southern hemisphere such as India and Australia. They are also found in the United States, Polynesia, South and Central America, Western Africa and countries of Southeast Asia.
Common varieties include the regularly found green parrots, macaws, lorikeets, lorries, parakeets, etc.

Scientific Classification

Psittacidae
Psittacinae
Arinae
Psittrichasiidae
Psittrichasinae
Coracopsinae
Psittaculidae
Platycercinae
Agapornithinae
Psittacellinae
Psittaculinae
Loriinae



Cacatuoidea

This superfamily is known to comprise birds commonly known to us as Cockatoos. There are approximately 21 species in this superfamily.
The Cockatoo word is said to have been derived from an Indonesian word which most probably means parrot.
These birds are native to regions such as Australia, Tasmania, Indonesia, Solomon Islands and Philippines.
Some of the well-known varieties include the palm cockatoo, Major Mitchell's cockatoo, Sulphur-crested cockatoo, Gang gang cockatoo, Salmon-crested cockatoo, Blue-eyed cockatoo etc.

Scientific Classification

Nymphicinae
Nymphicus
Calyptorhynchinae
Calyptorhynchus
Cacatuinae
Probosciger
Callocephalon
Eolophus
Lophochroa
Cacatua



Strigopoidea

This superfamily of parrots is native to the island country of New Zealand. A couple of species were previously found on islands surrounding Australia and New Zealand as well.
This superfamily is composed of three genera of parrots, out of which the Nelepsittacus genus has been declared as completely extinct. Most of the species in the remaining two genera are either near extinction or highly endangered.

Scientific Classification

Nestor
Nestor notabilis
Nestor meridionalis septentrionalis
Nestor meridionalis meridionalis
Nestor productus (extinct)
Nestor sp (extinct)
Strigops
Strigops habroptila
Nelepsittacus
Nelepsittacus daphneleeae
Nelepsittacus donmertoni
Nelepsittacus minimus
Nelepsittacus spec



Physical Features

Most parrots have some common physical features like strong curvy beaks, zygodactyl claws and a straight posture. Green happens to be their primary color, with variations in shades as per different sub species. There are several species which have starkly contrasting and beautiful plumage in bright shades of red, green, blue and yellow. Parrots are also found in neutral shades of white, black and gray. Some species from cockatoo family are known for their attractive crests. Shape and length of feathers is likely to vary in different varieties of parrots. With the exception of Eclectus parrots and cockatoo families, there is no sexual dimorphism in parrots.

Life Span

Here is a list of some popular parrot species along with their average life expectancy. In actual cases, the birds' life span may vary depending upon their health and conditions of their habitat.

Parakeets: 10 to 18 years
Macaws: 50 to more than 100 years
Eclectus Parrots : 65 to 80 years
Cockatoos: 40 to 65 years
Lorikeets: 10 to 25 years
Lovebirds: 15 to 25 years
African Grays: 45 to 65 years
Canaries: 12 to 15 years
Amazon: 55 to 70 years
Finches: 5 to 10 years

Natural Habitat

Historically, parrots are known to originate in the southern supercontinent of Gondwanaland. Even today, most parrot species are found in the warmer tropical regions of the world. A few exceptional varieties can be found in temperate regions as well.
Parrots are known to live in large parrot colonies or groups. They make their nests in hollows of large trees that offer plenty of green foliage and abundance of fruits and seeds. Only the Monk Parakeet and five species of Agapornis lovebirds actually build nests in trees. Three Australian and New Zealand parrots nest on the ground itself. Today, due to rampant deforestation, parrots are losing their natural habitat and are forced to seek shelter in crowded urban areas. It is a sad sight to see the parrots making their colonies in nooks under roofs of houses and recesses in the walls.

Food Preferences

Parrots are primarily herbivores. Typically, they are known to feed on seeds, nuts, fruit flesh and nectar from flowers. Seeds form such an integral part of their diet, that parrots have learned to remove seed coats and other fruit parts that contain protective poisons, prior to ingestion. Several species in America, Southeast Asia and Africa eat clay, which soaks up toxic compounds from their gut. A parrot may feed on fruits such as guavas, apples, bananas, raw mangoes, cherries, plums, etc. Some varieties of parrots found in India are known to feed on chillies. A few are also known to prey on small insects and creatures.

Mating and Reproduction

Most species of parrots are known to form monogamous pairs with their mating companions, right after they attain sexual maturity. Parrots are known to prefer warmer seasons for their reproduction. For those, who have parrots as pets, both males and females start becoming territorial as soon as the mating season begins. Parrots are known to become very noisy and bite hands of their caretakers during this time. They may start displaying their attractive feathers, along with eye flashing, crest and tail flashing etc.
Once a female lays her eggs, she incubates them for approximately 28 days till they hatch. Egg colors can range from pure white to shades of gray. The size of eggs varies for every parrot species.

Extinct Sub species

Several parrot species around the world are endangered or have even become extinct. One reason for their extinction is high levels of poaching by bird collectors. Here is a list of some prominent parrot species that no longer exist.

Black-fronted Parakeet (Cyanoramphus zealandicus)
Broad-billed Parrot (Lophopsittacus mauritianus)
Cebu Hanging Parrot (Philippensis chrysonotus)
Cuban Macaw (Ara tricolor)
Carolina Parakeet (Conuropsis carolinensis)
Chatham Kaka (Nestor sp)
Conquered Lori (Vini vidivici)
Dominican Green-and-Yellow Macaw (Ara atwoodi)
Guadeloupe Parrot (Amazona violacea)
Guadeloupe Parakeet (Aratinga labati)
Glaucous Macaw (Anodorhynchus glaucus)
Jamaican Red Macaw (Ara gossei)
Jamaican Green and Yellow Macaw (Ara erythrocephala)
Lesser Antillean Macaw (Ara guadeloupensis)
Mauritius Gray Parrot (Lophopsittacus bensoni)
Martinique Parrot (Amazona martincana)
Mascarene Parrot (Mascarinus mascarinus)
Norfolk Island Kaka (Nestor productus)
Newton's Parakeet (Psittacula exsul)
New Caledonian Lorikeet (Charmosyna diadema)
Paradise Parrot (Psephotus pulcherrimus)
Rodrigues Parrot (Necropsittacus rodericanus)
Rufous-Tailed Parrot (Sumatranus heterurus)
Seychelles Parakeet (Psittacula wardi)
Society Parakeet (Cyanoramphus ulietanus)

World Famous Parrots

There have been several parrots throughout history, that were favorite pets of some of the most influential people in the world. There was an African gray parrot named Lory owned by Queen Victoria, that could effortlessly sing "God save the Queen' or Martha Washington's (former first lady of United States) pet parrot called Polly. However, I feel the need to mention two other parrots in a little more detail.

Alex (1976 to 2007)
This African Gray parrot was owned by American psychologist Irene Pepperberg. His name being an acronym, actually stands for Avian Learning Experiment. As per Pepperberg's study, Alex had the intelligence level of a five years old kid and emotion level of a two years old toddler. He had a very high level of intelligence, almost comparable to primates. Alex had a talent with using words and mimicking language used by people around him. He had a vocabulary of about 150 words and could correct people if they made errors while speaking. He could do basic levels of logical reasoning and numerical cognition. Alex had a talent for identification of objects, shapes and colors too. He helped Pepperberg by training and guiding his successors.

Poll (dates of hatching and death not available)
This particular African Gray parrot was owned by Andrew Jackson, the ex- President of the United States. Poll could mimic words and communicate in two languages, English as well as Spanish. While grasping words, Poll is said to have learned several offensive words too. It is said that Poll blurted out several such words during the funeral service of his master, which offended several mourners. Today, Poll's voice has been recreated and used in audio tours of The Hermitage Mansion, the last residence and museum depicting Andrew Jackson and his family.

Parrot Trivia

Parrots are some of the most intelligent birds. This is because their brain to body ratio is almost equal to higher level mammals. Experiments show that parrots are capable of identifying objects and remembering names. These birds were even used as spies and messengers during olden times due to their sharp memories.
The Macaws have an exceptional capacity to learn and mimic human speech. They do not possess any vocal cords like human beings. Instead, they have developed a knack for changing the shape of their trachea to control the passage of air through their respiratory system. This helps them to create sounds that resemble human speech. On account of this, they are popularly known as the talking parrots. This also makes them some of the most entertaining pets and companions.
They are able to exert tremendous biting pressure. Parrots that eat seeds have strong tongues, which they use to manipulate seeds, or position nuts in their bills.
The Cockatoos have a mobile crest of feathers on top of their heads. It is used as a means to attract females during the mating season.
Most parrots can climb tree canopies when they are not flying. They use their bills for gripping the branches or other supports with their beaks. They frequently walk with a rolling gait on the ground.
The Macaws are some of largest parrots in the world, while the lovebirds and pygmy parrots are some of the smallest parrot species.
Prom-Dresses
A disturbing fact is that, parrots are highly endangered. This is mostly due to the hunting of wild parrots for pet trade, as well as habitat loss and competition from invasive species. At present, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) has placed a ban on sale of any wild species.