True parrot

For other uses, see Parrot (disambiguation).

True parrots
Blue-and-gold Macaws
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Psittaciformes
Family:	Psittacidae Illiger, 1811
Subfamily
Loriinae (lories and lorikeets) Psittacinae (typical parrots and allies) (but see text)

The true parrots are about 330 species of bird belonging to the Psittacidae family, one of the two "traditional" families in the biological order Psittaciformes (parrots). The other family is the Cacatuidae (cockatoos) which are also parrots, but not classified as true parrots. True parrots are more widespread than cockatoos, with species in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Australia and eastwards across the Pacific Ocean as far as Polynesia.

The true parrot family is often considered to contain two subfamilies, the Psittacinae (typical parrots and allies) and the Loriinae (lories and lorikeets). However, there are other systems of classification and these two groups are sometimes ascribed full family status, being called Psittacidae and Loriidae.

Like most parrots the Psittacidae are primarily seed eaters. There is some variation in the diet of individual species, with fruits, nuts, leaves and even insects and other animal prey being taken on occasion by some species. The lorikeets are predominately nectar feeders; many other parrots will drink nectar as well. Most Psittacidae are cavity nesting birds which form monogamous pair bonds.

Phylogeny

Further information: Parrot

The order Psittaciformes (parrots) contains two families of parrots, the cockatoos and the true parrots. These seem to be less distinct from each other than the true parrot lineages are among themselves, and it appears as if eventually most major groups of living parrots will be given the same taxonomic rank. They will probably be treated as subfamilies for the most part, as the living Psittaciformes seem monophyletic with regards to several prehistoric families.

• Family Psittacidae (true parrots)
  • Subfamily Loriinae (lories and lorikeets)
  • Subfamily Psittacinae (typical parrots and allies)
    • Tribe Arini (American psittacines)
    • Tribe Cyclopsittacini (fig parrots)
    • Tribe Micropsittini (pygmy parrots)
    • Tribe Platycercini (broad-tailed parrots) paraphyletic
    • Tribe Psittrichadini (Pesquet's Parrot)
    • Tribe Psittacini (African psittacines) paraphyletic
    • Tribe Psittaculini (Asian psittacines) paraphyletic

Image gallery

• 
  Scarlet Macaw
• 
  Scarlet Macaws
• 
  Black-hooded Parakeet or Nanday Conure, a popular South American species.
• 
  Chestnut-fronted Macaws, Yellow-crowned Amazons and Dusky-headed Conures at a clay lick in Ecuador
• 
  Puerto Rican Amazons at nesting site
• 
  Senegal Parrots
• 
  Rose-ringed Parakeet, a common species in Africa and Asia and feral in Europe And United States.
• 
  The Red-crowned Parakeet of New Zealand
• 
  The Pale-headed Rosella of Australia
• 
  The Kea of New Zealand
• 
  The Musk Lorikeet of Ausralia
• 
  Yellow-streaked Lory of New Guinea
• 
  Blue-fronted Amazon parrot
• 
  The Budgerigar of Australia

Species lists

• Species list sortable alphabetically by common or scientific name
• Species list in taxonomic order

Lovebirds Lovebird is the commonly used name for any of the nine species of the genus Agapornis (Greek: αγάπη agape 'love'; όρνις ornis 'bird'). They are a social and affectionate small parrot. Eight species are native to the African continent; the Grey-headed Lovebird is native to Madagascar.

The name Lovebird stems from these parrots' strong, monogamous pair bonding and the long periods of time in which paired birds will spend sitting beside one another. This is reflected by the bird's name in other languages: in German, "die Unzertrennlichen", and in French "les inséparables", both meaning "the inseparables".

Lovebirds live in small flocks and eat mainly fruit, vegetables, some grasses and seed. Abyssinian Lovebirds also eat insects and figs, and the Black-collared Lovebirds have a special dietary requirement for native figs making them almost impossible to keep in captivity.

Some species of the genus are amongst the most popular parrots kept as pets, and several colour mutations have been selectively breed in aviculture. Their average lifespan is 10 to 15 years.

Books

• Bruce Thomas Boehner - Parrot Culture. Our 2,500-year-Long Fascination with the World's Most Talkative Bird (2004)

External links

• City Parrots
• FreeParrots.net - News and info about parrot studies, conservation efforts, and captive welfare from around the world.
• Parrot videos on the Internet Bird Collection
• Parrot sounds in the xeno canto collection
• "Psittacidae". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.