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Parrots
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Size: from 9 cm (3.6 in.) pygmy parrots to 100 cm (40
in.) hyacinth macaw.
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Weight: from 65 grams to a few ounces for the small
species, to more than 1.6 kg (3.5 lb.) for a large hyacinth
macaw
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Description: can be found in every color of the spectrum,
but many South American species tend toward olive green.
All have zygodactylus feet, two toes that point foward
and two toes that point backwards. Most members of the
parrot family also have strongly hooked beaks.
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Life span: smaller species between 10 and 15 years,
larger macaws and cockatoos to more than 75 years
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Habitat: primarily forest dwellers of tropical zones
around the world
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Diet: fruit, seeds, buds, nectar, and pollen. Occasionally
insects or other meat will be eaten
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Three hundred and twenty-eight different species of parrots live on
the Earth. Parrots are divided into groups such as cockatoos, lories,
lovebirds, macaws, and parakeets. Parrots range in size from the pygmy
of the South Pacific which is only 3½ inches long to the hyacinth
macaw which is about 10 inches long. Much of its length is in its
long tail. Parrots weigh from just a few ounces to 3½ pounds. Most
parrots are predominantly green, especially the ones from South America.
Some American parrots are mostly blue or yellow. However, parrots
may have red, green, blue, purple, white, pink, brown, yellow, and
even black. They have large heads and short necks. The zygodactyolus
feet of the parrot have two toes that point backwards and two toes
that point forward. These toes make the parrot excellent climbers.
Smaller parrots live 10 to 15 years. Larger parrots such as the macaws
and cockatoos live more than 75 years. These birds reach maturity
in 1 to 4 years. Wild parrots live in the forest of tropical zones
including South America, Australia, and New Guinea. A few live in
Africa and mainland Asia. Parrots are hole nesters. They build their
nests in holes in trees, termite mounts, rock cavities, or ground
tunnels. A few exceptions will build stick nests. The thick muscular
tongue helps the parrot eat fruit, seeds, buds, nectar, and pollen.
Sometimes they will eat insects. Their strong beak is hooked. They
feed their young by regurgitation. |
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| Bird rescue & bird adoption;
parrot refuge/rescue & placement for unwanted birds. |
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| Check out our list of local
birds broken down by your state and different types of
species. |
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| Migrating birds stay on track
because of chemical reactions in their bodies that are
influenced by the Earth's magnetic field... |
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Part
I
November
19, 2004