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parrot

Tropical bird found mainly in Australia and South America. These colourful birds have been valued as pets in the Western world for many centuries. Parrots have the ability to imitate human speech. They are mainly vegetarian, and range in size from the 8.5 cm/3.5 in pygmy parrot to the 100 cm/40 in Macaw. The smaller species are commonly referred to as parakeets. The plumage is often very colourful, and the call is usually a harsh screech. In most species the sexes are indistinguishable. Several species are endangered. Parrots are members of the family Psittacidae, of the order Psittaciformes.

Parrots all have powerful hooked bills and feet adapted for tree climbing. The bill, with its elongated tip, is well adapted in most parrots for tearing up fruit and cracking nuts, and in a number of species the tongue is highly specialized for extracting honey by means of a brushlike tip.

The talent for imitating human speech is marked in the grey parrot Psittacus erithacus of Africa. Alex, a 20-year-old African grey taking part in a long-term language project at the University of Arizona during 1996, can count up to six, name 100 objects and describe their colour, texture, and shape. Parrots were among the first items to be traded between natives and European settlers and merchants.

Under threat

Many parrot species are threatened: of the 350 species, more than 90 were under threat of extinction and a further 40 species were vulnerable in 1998. The most serious threat is caused by destruction of the rainforest, although trapping for the pet trade is also a major threat to many species.

Unusual parrots

The kakapo of New Zealand is flightless and usually lives on the ground, though it can still climb trees. The kea, another New Zealand parrot, differs from the rest of the group in having developed carnivorous habits.