Parrots are birds that belong to the order Psittaciformes, made up of species that are distributed throughout the world, particularly in tropical and subtropical South America, Africa, Australia and New Zealand, where there is greater diversity. They represent a group whose characteristics separate them very well from the rest of the birds, such as their robust, powerful and curved beak that allows them to feed on a wide variety of fruits and seeds, as well as their prehensile and zygodactyl legs. On the other hand, they present plumages with a great variety of designs, in addition to having a wide range of sizes. They are among the most intelligent animals and are capable of reproducing the human voice, another trait that makes them very unique birds.
Continue reading this article on our site and we will tell you about the types of parrots, their characteristics and names.
Characteristics of Parrots
These birds make up an order with more than 370 species that inhabit tropical and subtropical regions of the planet and that are divided into three superfamilies (Strigopoidea, Psittacoidea and Cacatuoidea) that differ in traits such as size, plumage coloration and geographic distribution. They have a great variety of particular characteristics such as the ones we will see below:
- Patas: they have zygodactyl legs, that is, with two fingers forward and two backwards that are also prehensile and allow them to manipulate your food. They are short but robust and with them they can hold firmly to the branches of trees.
- Picos: their beaks are strong, thick and end in a pronounced hook, a trait that differentiates them from the rest of the birds, as well as well as their muscular tongue that acts like a sponge when feeding on pollen, for example, or like a finger when they want to extract part of the bark of a tree. They have a crop where they partially store food and then regurgitate its contents to their young or to their partner.
- Food: it is very varied and generally consists of fruits and seeds, although some species can complete their diet with pollen and nectar and others also eat carrion and small vertebrates.
- Habitats: they occupy from coastal deserts, dry forests and humid jungles to anthropized environments such as plantations and crops. There are very generalist species that adapt easily to changes in their environment and other more specialized ones that need very specific environments to develop successfully, a trait that makes them very vulnerable and for which many species are threatened.
- Behavior: the different types of parrots are gregarious birds, that is, they are social and form very large groups, some species arriving to form groups of thousands of individuals. Many species mate for life, so they are monogamous and nest in tree holes or abandoned termite mounds, with the exception of the New Zealand kakapo (Strigops habroptilus), which is the only flightless parrot that nests on the ground, and the Argentine parrot (Myiopsitta monachus) that builds huge community nests using branches. They are known for being one of the most intelligent groups of birds and for their ability to learn words and elaborate sentences.
Taxonomic classification of parrots
The order Psittaciformes is divided into three superfamilies which, in turn, have their own classification. Thus, the main types of parrots are those classified in the following superfamilies:
- Strigopoidea-Includes New Zealand parrots.
- Cacatuoidea: Includes cockatoos.
- Psittacoidea: includes the most well-known parrots and other psittacoids.
Superfamily Strigopoidea
Currently, there are only four species belonging to this superfamily: kakapo (Strigops habroptitus), kea (Nestor notabilis), South Island kaka (Nestor meridionalis meridionalis) and North Island kaka (Nestor meridionalis spetentrionalis).
The Strigopoidea superfamily is divided into two families, which include the types of parrots mentioned:
- Strigopoidae: with the genus Strigops.
- Nestoridae: with the genus Nestor.
Superfamily Cacatuoidea
As we said, this superfamily is made up of cockatoos, so it only includes the family Cacatuidae, which has three subfamilies:
- Nymphicinae: with the genus Nymphicus.
- Calyptorhynchinae: with the genus Calyptorhynchus.
- Cacatuinae: with the genera Probosciger, Eolophus, Lophochroa, Callocephalon and Cacatua.
We find species such as the white cockatoo (Cacatua alba), the nymphal cockatoo (Nymphicus hollandicus) or the red-tailed cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus banksii).
Superfamily Psittacoidea
It is the largest of all, since it includes more than 360 species of parrots. It is divided into three families, each with its different subfamilies and genera:
- Psittacidae: includes the subfamilies Psittacinae (with the genera Psittacus and Poicephalus) and Arinae (with the genera (Anodorhynchus, Ara, Cyanopsitta, Primolius, Orthopsittaca, Diopsittaca, Rhynchopsitta, Ognorhynchus, Leptosittaca, Guaruba, Aratinga, Pyrrhura, Nandayus, Cyanoliseus, Enicognathus, Pionopsitta, Pyrilia, Graydidascalus, Alipiopsitta, Pionus Amazona, Triclaria, Forpus, Pionites, Deroptyus, Hapalopsittaca, Touit, Brotogeris, Bolborhynchus, Myiopsitta, Psilopsiagon, and Nannopsittaca).
- Psittrichasidae: includes the subfamilies Psittrichasinae (with the genus Psittrichas) and Coracopseinae (with the genus Coracopsis).
- Psittaculidae: includes the subfamilies Platycercinae (with the genera Barnardius, Platycercus, Psephotus, Purpureicephalus, Northiella, Lathamus, Prosopeia, Eunymphicus, Cyanoramphus, Pezoporus, Neopsephotus and Neophema), Psittacellinae (with the genus Psittacella), Loriinae (with the genera Oreopsittacus, Charmosyna, Vini, Phigys, Neopsittacus, Glossopsitta, Lorius, Psitteuteles, Pseudeos, Eos, Chalcopsitta, Trichoglossus, Melopsittacus, Psittaculirostris and Cyclopsitta), Agapornithinae (with the genera Bolbopsittacus, Loriculus and Agapornis) and Psittaculinae (with the genera Alisterus, Aprosmictus, Polytelis, Eclectus, Geoffroyus, Tanygnathus, Psittinus, Psittacula, Prioniturus, and Micropsitta).
In this superfamily we find the typical parrots, such that there are species such as the roseate parakeet (Neopsephotus bourkii), the Malagasy lovebird (Agapornis canus) or the red-throated lory (Charmosyna amabilis).
The types of parrots can also be classified by size, as we will see in the following sections.
Types of small parrots
There are many types of small parrots that exist, so below we show a selection of the most representative or popular species.
Microloro pusio (Micropsitta pusio)
This species belongs to the superfamily Psittacoidea (family Psittaculidae and subfamily Psittaculinae). With 8 to 11 cm in length, is the smallest species of parrot that exists It is a very little studied species, but it is native to New Guinea, inhabits areas of humid forests and forms small groups of about six individuals.
Dwarf Catita (Forpus xanthopterygius)
Also known as the Blue-winged Parrot, this species is found within the superfamily Psittacoidea (family Psittacidae and subfamily Arinae), measuring around 13 cm in length, is native to South America and inhabits everything from open natural areas to city parks. It presents sexual dimorphism (uncommon feature within the order Psittaciformes), where the male has blue flight feathers and the female is completely green. It is very common to see them in pairs.
Australian Parrot (Melopsittacus undulatus)
Also known as Australian parakeet, it is located within the superfamily Psittacoidea (family Psittaculidae, subfamily Loriinae), it is a species native to Australia and is also endemic there, although it is introduced in many other countries. It measures about 18 cm in length and inhabits from arid or semi-arid zones to wooded areas or thickets. In this species there is sexual dimorphism and the female can be differentiated from the male by the wax on the beak (fleshy that some birds have at the base of the beak), since the females have it brown, while the male's is brown. color blue.
The budgerigar is one of the most popular types of domestic parrots due to its size, character and beauty. However, it should be noted that all birds that live in captivity must enjoy hours of flight, so it is not advisable to keep them confined in cages 24 hours a day.
Types of medium parrots
Within the more than 370 types of parrots we also find medium-sized species. Some of the best known are:
Argentine Parrot (Myiopsitta monachus)
Medium-sized parrot species, about 30 cm long It belongs to the superfamily Psittacoidea (family Psittacidae and subfamily Arinae). It inhabits South America, from Bolivia to Argentina, however, it was introduced in other countries of America and other continents, which has caused it to become a plague, since it has a very short reproductive cycle and lays several eggs. In addition, it is a very gregarious species that has community nests shared by several pairs.
Philippine Cockatoo (Cacatua haematuropygia)
This bird is endemic to the Philippine Islands and lives in low mangrove areas. It is found within the superfamily Cacatuoidea (family Cacatuidae and subfamily Cacatuinae). It reaches about 35 cm in length and its white plumage is unmistakable due to the pink area below the rectrices (tail) feathers and the yellow or yellow feathers. roses from her head. This species is in danger of extinction due to illegal hunting.
Get to know the most endangered animals in the world in this other article.
Collared Lory (Lorius chlorocercus)
Species included in the superfamily Psittacoidea (family Psittaculidae, subfamily Loriinae). The collared lory is a species native to the Solomon Islands that occupies humid forests and highlands. It measures between 28 and 30 cm in length and has a colorful plumage that stands out for showing red, green and yellow, and for having a characteristic black hood on head. It is a species that has been little studied, but it is presumed that its biology is similar to the rest of the Psittaciformes.
Types of large parrots
We close the types of parrots classified by size with the largest of all. The most popular species are these:
Blue Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus)
Belonging to the superfamily Psittacoidea (family Psittacidae, subfamily Arinae), it is native to Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay, and is a species of large parrot that inhabits jungles and forests. It can measure more than a meter in length, being the largest macaw species. It is a very striking species not only because of its size and its tail with very long feathers, but also because of its blue color with yellow details around the eyes and on the beak. It is categorized as “Vulnerable” due to the loss of its habitat and illegal trade. In addition, it is a species whose biological cycle is very long, since it reaches reproductive age at 7 years.
Both for its beauty and its intelligence, the hyacinth macaw is another of the most popular types of domestic parrots. However, we must remember that it is a vulnerable species, so it should live in freedom. Find out more about this type of parrot in this other article: "Is the blue macaw in danger of extinction?"
Red Macaw (Ara macao)
Species of the superfamily Psittacoidea (family Psittacidae, subfamily Arinae), reaches more than 90 cm in length including its tail, which has long feathers, being one of the largest types of parrots that exist. It inhabits tropical jungles, forests, mountains and plains from Mexico to Brazil. It is very common to see flocks of more than 30 individuals that stand out for their red plumage with wings with blue and yellow details.
Green Macaw (Ara militaris)
This is a somewhat smaller macaw than the others, also included within the superfamily Psittacoidea (family Psittacidae, subfamily Arinae), and it reaches about 70 cm in length It is a species that extends from Mexico to Argentina and occupies forests in a good state of conservation, for this reason it is used as a bioindicator of the he alth and quality of the environments it occupies, since it tends to disappear in degraded habitats. It is categorized as "Vulnerable" due to the loss of its habitat. His plumage is green on his body with a red detail on his forehead.
Types of talking parrots
In the world of birds there are many orders with species that have the ability to imitate the human voice and to learn, memorize and repeat words and elaborate phrases. Within this group there are many species of parrots that have a very sharp intelligence and that are capable of interacting with people, since from this they can even learn sentences and even associate them with a meaning. We will look at some of the types of talking parrots below.
Gray Parrot (Psittacus erithacus)
Species of the superfamily Psittacoidea (family Psittacidae, subfamily Psittacinae), native to Africa that inhabits humid forests and savannahs. It measures approximately between 30 and 40 cm long and is very striking due to its gray plumage with red on the tail feathers. It is a species very sensitive to its environment and is, par excellence, the talkative parrot species. He has an Immense ability to learn words and memorize them, and has an intelligence comparable to that of a small child.
Precisely because of its intelligence and learning ability, the yaco is another of the most popular types of domestic parrots all over the world. Again, we emphasize the importance of letting these animals free so they can fly and exercise. Likewise, we encourage you to reflect on the ownership of birds before adopting them due to all the characteristics that we have mentioned above.
Blue-fronted Amazon or Talking Parrot (Amazona aestiva)
Native to South America, this species of parrot belongs to the superfamily Psittacoidea (family Psittacidae, subfamily Arinae), inhabits forest and jungle areas, including peri-urban areas and plantation areas from Bolivia to Argentina. It is a very long-lived species, with records of individuals up to 90 years old. It has a size of around 35 cm and a characteristic plumage on the forehead with blue feathers. Very popular due to its ability to reproduce the human voice and can learn a large number of words and long sentences.
Eclectus Parrot (Eclectus roratus)
Species that is distributed in the Solomon Islands, islands of Indonesia, New Guinea and Australia, where it occupies jungles and leafy forests and mountain areas. It is included in the superfamily Psittacoidea (family Psittaculidae, subfamily Psittaculinae). It measures between 30 and 40 cm and has a very marked sexual dimorphism, since the male and female differ in that the latter has her entire red body with details in blue and the beak is black, while the male is green and his beak is yellow. When they discovered this species, this led to the belief that they were two different species. This species, like the previous ones, is also capable of reproducing the human voice, although it takes more time to learn.
