In the first part of this article, we explained the groupings of parrot that we use, and that this is distinct from the scientific classification. We went on to consider four groupings in detail: Budgies, Cockatiels, Cockatoos, and Conures. In this article we will look at the remaining groupings:
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| A Red-shouldered Macaw at Parque das Aves, Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil. This subspecies is also known as the Noble Macaw. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
- Macaws
- Parakeets
- Parrotlets
- Parrots
- Lovebirds
Macaws
Often when people think of parrots they have a Macaw in mind since these colorful birds are often used in TV and films. There are in fact six genera that make up the grouping we refer to as Macaws: Ara, Anodorhynchus, Cyanopsitta, Diopsittaca, Orthopsittaca, and Primolius. Most scientists and aviculturists consider that there are 18 species of macaw. With its preferred habitat being the rainforest macaws have faced threats of extinction from deforestation in recent years, and in fact, six species are extinct. One interesting thing about macaws is that they like to eat clay, and it is thought that this helps them process other poisonous food that they enjoy.
Parakeets
This term is often used interchangeably with a budgie, but this is incorrect as a parakeet is used to group together a number of small and medium-sized birds. And we must also consider that conures (discussed in part one of this series) are part of the parakeet grouping. Other species that we call parakeets are Brotogeris parakeets, Monk Parakeets, and Lineolated Parakeets.
Parrotlets
These tiny, stocky parrots grow to around five inches and are the smallest parrots in the world. A common choice of companion is the Pacific Parrotlet, which is predominantly green with a blue head, other good pets are the Mexican, Spectacled, and Yellow-Faced Parrotlets. These birds pack a lot of personalities, and although they are quite quiet they are reasonable mimics and can pick up a dozen words.
Parrots
There is a classification known as true parrots which are made up of the Psittacidae family and excludes the Cacatuidae family, which includes cockatoos, thus when we speak of true parrots we refer to 330 species. Some well-known examples are the Meyers Parrot, Amazon Blue Fronted Parrot, and Senegal Parrots.
Lovebirds
Lovebird is a term used to group the nine species that make up the Agapornis genus. Native to Africa and Madagascar these stocky parrots grow up to 17 centimeters and live up to 15 years. The Fischer's Lovebird and Black-cheeked Lovebird are amongst two of the best-known lovebirds.
Danny Oakes is a keen aviculturist who writes on a range of parrot species, including Senegal Parrots and the Amazon Blue Fronted Parrot. Article Source: EzineArticles |
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