" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/35/3635-004-F5B51870/Scarlet-macaw.jpg" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="*7020"><imgsrc="https://cdn.britannica.com/35/3635-004-F5B51870/Scarlet-macaw.jpg?w=300&h=169&c=crop"alt="Scarlet macaw (Ara macao)."data-width="347"data-height="450"loading="eager"><buttonclass="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white"aria-label="Zoom in"><emclass="material-icons link-blue"data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></img></a></div><figcaptionclass="card-body"></figcaption></figure></div></div><!--[/1STIMG]--><pclass="topic-paragraph"><strong><spanid="ref269873"></span>parrot</strong>, term applied to a large group of gaudy, raucous <ahref="https://www.britannica.com/"class="md-crosslink"data-show-preview="true">bird</a>s of the family Psittacidae. <em>Parrot</em> also is used in reference to any member of a larger bird group, order <ahref="https://www.britannica.com/"class="md-crosslink"data-show-preview="true">Psittaciformes</a>, which includes <ahref="https://www.britannica.com/"class="md-crosslink"data-show-preview="true">cockatoo</a>s (family Cacatuidae) as well. Parrots have been kept as cage birds since ancient times, and they have always been popular because they are amusing, intelligent, and often affectionate. Several are astonishingly imitative of many sounds, including human speech.</p><!--[P1]--><spanclass="marker p1"></span><!--[AM1]--><spanclass="marker AM1 am-inline"></span><!--[MOD1]--><spanclass="marker MOD1 mod-inline"><divclass="assemblies medialist slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100"data-type="other"><divclass="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex"><divclass="rw-track d-flex align-items-center"><divclass="rw-slide col-100 px-20"><figureclass="md-assembly card print-true"data-assembly-id="6848"><divclass="md-assembly-wrapper card-media"data-type="image"><astyle="
" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/02/132502-050-F4667944/macaw.jpg" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="*129679"><imgsrc="https://cdn.britannica.com/02/132502-050-F4667944/macaw.jpg?w=300&h=169&c=crop"alt="blue-and-yellow macaw"data-width="1068"data-height="1600"loading="eager"><buttonclass="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white"aria-label="Zoom in"><emclass="material-icons link-blue"data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></img></a></div><figcaptionclass="card-body"><aclass="md-assembly-title font-weight-bold mb-5 d-inline-block font-16 font-sans-serif media-overlay-link"href="https://cdn.britannica.com/02/132502-050-F4667944/macaw.jpg"data-href="*129679">blue-and-yellow macaw</a></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><buttondisabled="true"class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue m-20"><spanclass="material-icons"data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span></button><buttondisabled="true"class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue m-20"><spanclass="material-icons"data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span></button></div></span><pclass="topic-paragraph">The family Psittacidae numbers 333 species. The subfamily Psittacinae, the “true” parrots, is by far the largest subfamily, with members found in warm regions worldwide. These birds have a blunt <ahref="https://www.britannica.com/"class="md-crosslink"data-show-preview="true">tongue</a> and eat seeds, buds, and some fruits and <ahref="https://www.britannica.com/"class="md-crosslink"data-show-preview="true">insects</a>. Many members of the subfamily are known simply as parrots, but various subgroups have more specific names such as <ahref="https://www.britannica.com/"class="md-crosslink"data-show-preview="true">macaw</a>, <ahref="https://www.britannica.com/"class="md-crosslink"data-show-preview="true">parakeet</a>, <ahref="https://www.britannica.com/"class="md-crosslink"data-show-preview="true">conure</a>, and <ahref="https://www.britannica.com/"class="md-crosslink"data-show-preview="true">lovebird</a>.</p><!--[P2]--><spanclass="marker p2"></span><!--[AM2]--><spanclass="marker AM2 am-inline"></span><!--[MOD2]--><spanclass="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span><pclass="topic-paragraph">The African <spanid="ref269884"></span>gray parrot (<em>Psittacus erithacus</em>) is unsurpassed as a talker; the male can precisely <spanid="ref849843"></span>echo human speech. Captive birds are alert and, compared with other parrots, relatively good-tempered. Some are said to have lived 80 years. The bird is about 33 cm (13 inches) long and is light gray except for its squared, red tail and bare, whitish face; the sexes look alike. Gray parrots are common in the rainforest, where they eat fruits and seeds; they damage crops but are important propagators of the oil palm.</p><!--[P3]--><spanclass="marker p3"></span><!--[AM3]--><spanclass="marker AM3 am-inline"></span><!--[MOD3]--><spanclass="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span><pclass="topic-paragraph">Among other proficient mimics are the <spanid="ref269885"></span>Amazon parrots (<em>Amazona</em>). The 31 species of Amazons are chunky birds, mostly 25 to 40 cm (10 to 16 inches) long, with slightly erectile crown feathers and a rather short, squared tail. Their predominantly green plumage is marked with other bright colours, chiefly on the upper head; the sexes look alike. Amazon parrots live in <ahref="https://www.britannica.com/"class="md-crosslink"data-show-preview="true">tropical forest</a>s of the West Indies and Mexico to northern South America. They are difficult to breed and may be aggressive as well as squawky. Common in aviaries is the <spanid="ref849827"></span>blue-fronted Amazon (<em>A. aestiva</em>) of Brazil; it has a blue forehead, a yellow or blue crown, a yellow face, and red shoulders. The <spanid="ref849829"></span>yellow-crowned parrot (<em>A. ochrocephala</em>) of Mexico
min-height: 160px;
" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/12728-050-AA42E39F/parakeet.jpg" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="*4972"><imgsrc="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/12728-050-AA42E39F/parakeet.jpg?w=300&h=169&c=crop"alt="Black-capped parakeet (Pyrrhura rupicola)"data-width="976"data-height="1600"loading="eager"><buttonclass="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white"aria-label="Zoom in"><emclass="material-icons link-blue"data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></img></a></div><figcaptionclass="card-body"><aclass="md-assembly-title font-weight-bold mb-5 d-inline-block font-16 font-sans-serif media-overlay-link"href="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/12728-050-AA42E39F/parakeet.jpg"data-href="*4972">Black-capped parakeet (<em>Pyrrhura rupicola</em>)</a></figcaption></figure></div></div><pclass="topic-paragraph">The <spanid="ref269886"></span>monk, or green, <ahref="https://www.britannica.com/"class="md-crosslink"data-show-preview="true">parakeet</a> (<em>Myiopsitta monachus</em>) is one of the hardiest parrot species. It is native to South America, but some have escaped from captivity in the United States and now nest in several states. Its large stick nest is unique among psittaciforms. Other remarkable parrots of this subfamily include the <spanid="ref849831"></span>hanging parrots (<em>Loriculus</em>), which sleep upside-down like bats. Caiques (<em>Pionites</em>) are small, short-tailed South American birds similar to conures in build and habits.</p><!--[P5]--><spanclass="marker p5"></span><!--[AM5]--><spanclass="marker AM5 am-inline"></span><!--[MOD5]--><spanclass="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span><pclass="topic-paragraph">For decades the <spanid="ref269887"></span>night parrot, or night parakeet (<em>Geopsittacus occidentalis</em>), of Australia was thought to be extinct, until a dead one was found in 1990. It feeds at night on spinifex grass seeds and dozes under a tussock by day. Its nest is a twig platform in a bush and is entered by way of a tunnel. Equally unusual is the <spanid="ref269888"></span>ground parrot, or ground parakeet (<em>Pezoporus wallicus</em>). Rare local populations exist in the wastelands of coastal southern Australia and western Tasmania. It runs in the grass, flushes like a <ahref="https://www.britannica.com/"class="md-crosslink"data-show-preview="true">quail</a>, and makes a sudden deceptive pitch, and it was formerly hunted with dogs. It eats seeds and insects; its nest is a leaf-lined depression under a bush.</p><!--[P6]--><spanclass="marker p6"></span><!--[AM6]--><spanclass="marker AM6 am-inline"></span><!--[MOD6]--><spanclass="marker MOD6 mod-inline"><divclass="assemblies medialist slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100"data-type="other"><divclass="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex"><divclass="rw-track d-flex align-items-center"><divclass="rw-slide col-100 px-20"><figureclass="md-assembly card print-true"data-assembly-id="186850"><divclass="md-assembly-wrapper card-media"data-type="image"><astyle="
" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/93/3393-004-E4BA0F16/Rainbow-lorikeet.jpg" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="*6858"><imgsrc="https://cdn.britannica.com/93/3393-004-E4BA0F16/Rainbow-lorikeet.jpg?w=300&h=169&c=crop"alt="Rainbow lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus)."data-width="400"data-height="273"loading="eager"><buttonclass="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white"aria-label="Zoom in"><emclass="material-icons link-blue"data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></img></a></div><figcaptionclass="card-body"></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><buttondisabled="true"class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue m-20"><spanclass="material-icons"data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span></button><buttondisabled="true"class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue m-20"><spanclass="material-icons"data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span></button></div></span><pclass="topic-paragraph">The <spanid="ref269880"></span>lories (with short tails) and <ahref="https://www.britannica.com/"class="md-crosslink"data-show-preview="true"><spanid="ref269881"></span>lorikeets</a> (with longer, pointed tails) make up the Psittacidae subfamily <spanid="ref269879"></span>Loriinae. The 53 species in 12 genera are found in Australia, New Guinea, and some Pacific islands. All have a slender, wavy-edged beak and a brush-tipped tongue for extracting nectar from flowers and juices from fruits.</p><!--[P7]--><spanclass="marker p7"></span><!--[AM7]--><spanclass="marker AM7 am-inline"></span><!--[MOD7]--><spanclass="marker MOD7 mod-inline"></span><pclass="topic-paragraph">The <spanid="ref269882"></span>pygmy parrots of the subfamily Micropsittinae all belong to the genus <em><spanid="ref849832"></span>Micropsitta</em>. The six species are endemic to New Guinea and nearby islands. These are the smallest members of the family. They live in forests, where they eat insects and fungi.</p><!--[P8]--><spanclass="marker p8"></span><!--[AM8]--><spanclass="marker AM8 am-inline"></span><!--[MOD8]--><spanclass="marker MOD8 mod-inline"></span><divclass="assemblies"><divclass="w-100"><figureclass="md-assembly card print-true"data-assembly-id="6857"><divclass="md-assembly-wrapper card-media"data-type="image"><astyle="
min-height: 160px;
" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/92/3392-004-CA0C16AF/Kea.jpg" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="*6857"><imgsrc="https://cdn.britannica.com/92/3392-004-CA0C16AF/Kea.jpg?w=300&h=169&c=crop"alt="Kea (Nestor notabilis)."data-width="400"data-height="295"loading="eager"><buttonclass="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white"aria-label="Zoom in"><emclass="material-icons link-blue"data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></img></a></div><figcaptionclass="card-body"></figcaption></figure></div></div><pclass="topic-paragraph">The subfamily <spanid="ref269876"></span>Nestorinae is found only in New Zealand. The <spanid="ref269877"></span>kea (<em>Nestor notabilis</em>) occasionally tears into sheep carcasses (rarely, weakened sheep) to get at the fat around the kidneys. The <spanid="ref269878"></span>kaka, <em>N. meridionalis</em>, a gentler forest bird, is often kept as a pet. The owl parrot, or <ahref="https://www.britannica.com/"class="md-crosslink"data-show-preview="true"><spanid="ref269875"></span>kakapo</a> (<em>Strigops habroptilus</em>), also lives only in New Zealand. It is the sole member of the subfamily <spanid="ref269874"></span>Strigopinae. Rare and once thought extinct, it survives as a scant population on <ahref="https://www.britannica.com/"class="md-crosslink"data-show-preview="true">Stewart Island</a>.</p><!--[P9]--><spanclass="marker p9"></span><!--[AM9]--><spanclass="marker AM9 am-inline"></span><!--[MOD9]--><spanclass="marker MOD9 mod-inline"><divclass="assemblies medialist slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100"data-type="other"><divclass="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex"><divclass="rw-track d-flex align-items-center"><divclass="rw-slide col-100 px-20"><figureclass="md-assembly card print-true"data-assembly-id="4916"><divclass="md-assembly-wrapper card-media"data-type="image"><astyle="
" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/10/100710-050-9BC00508/Flock-galahs-cockatoos-Austl-New-South-Wales.jpg" class="position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="*100875"><imgsrc="https://cdn.britannica.com/10/100710-050-9BC00508/Flock-galahs-cockatoos-Austl-New-South-Wales.jpg?w=300&h=169&c=crop"alt="Flock of galahs, or roseate cockatoos (Eolophus roseicapillus)."data-width="1600"data-height="1063"loading="eager"><buttonclass="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white"aria-label="Zoom in"><emclass="material-icons link-blue"data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></img></a></div><figcaptionclass="card-body"></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><buttondisabled="true"class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue m-20"><spanclass="material-icons"data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span></button><buttondisabled="true"class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue m-20"><spanclass="material-icons"data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span></button></div></span><pclass="topic-paragraph">The cockatoo family (Cacatuidae) numbers 21 species from Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands. The group includes the <spanid="ref849833"></span>cockatiel (<em>Nymphicus hollandicus</em>), a smaller bird. All are crested and have heavy beaks for cracking nuts and seeds. The so-called sea parrot is unrelated to the psittaciforms (<em>see</em><ahref="https://www.britannica.com/"class="md-crosslink"data-show-preview="true">puffin</a>).</p><!--[P10]--><spanclass="marker p10"></span><!--[AM10]--><spanclass="marker AM10 am-inline"></span><!--[MOD10]--><spanclass="marker MOD10 mod-inline"></span></section>
<spanclass="md-signature"><ahref="https://www.britannica.com//editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</a></span>
<spanclass="md-signature">This article was most recently revised and updated by <ahref="https://www.britannica.com//editor/Adam-Augustyn/6394">Adam Augustyn</a>.</span><!--[END-OF-CONTENT]--><spanclass="marker end-of-content"></span><!--[AFTER-ARTICLE]--><spanclass="marker after-article"></span></div>