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The Psittaciformes has become one of the most popular domesticated birds. More commonly known as the parrot, these birds are probably best known for their bright plumage and their ability to mimic the human voice. The fact that parrots are unwilling to share their food is probably not as well known. Throughout the world’s tropical forests, you can hear their shrieks as they fly over the dense foliage in search of a hidden flock feeding on a scarce tree with ripening fruit. A very homogenous group, the parrot is the sole family in the order of Psittaciformes. Originally from the strip of tropical forests that encircle the Earth, the parrot has spread to the south and even northward into colder areas. However, the biggest concentration of parrots still remains in Australia and the Amazon river basin in South America.
Most parrots have a rounded head, short neck and strong wings, permitting only short flights. Some species, such as the hairy-faced kakapo, are entirely flightless, foraging for leaves, young shoots, berries and moss in the forests of New Zealand. However, most species of parrots spend their days in the highest branches of the trees, only flying off of them to go on foraging expeditions.
In general, a parrot’s legs are short with two toes in the front and one in the rear, providing them with a great deal of dexterity. They are able to climb trees readily and often use their beaks as a third “hand”. Most frequently, the parrots plumage is green, but some parrots are red and others entirely blue. With very few exceptions, parrots tend to nest in the hollows of trees. Some species have been known to dig into termite mounds to hollow out a nesting chamber for themselves. Depending on the species, parrots tend to lay 2 to 8 eggs into a bare cavity of on a bed of dry leaves. The young are born without down, and are fed with partially digested food that is regurgitated to them by the parents.
The Psittaciformes have 216 species, that are grouped into 82 genera and then further broken down into subfamilies. Some of these are the cockatoo, which is a member of the sub family Kakotoeninae. These birds are distinguished from other members of the family by an erectile crest. The lorys, a member of the subfamily Loriinae, is a bird which has brilliant coloring, small beak and brush like tongue, permitting the bird to collect pollen and nectar from many flowers including its favorite, the eucalyptus. Perhaps the most familiar form of the Psittaciformes is found in the family of true parrots, psittacinae. This subfamily is composed of love birds parakeets and macaws. This family also contains many obscure unknown parrots such as the bat parrot, which hangs upside down from tree branches; and the dwarf parrot, which is the smallest form of the parrot order. They measure only four and a half inches in length. Living in the forest, they eat a varied diet of fruit, seeds, and insects, and not only have short bodies but also have short tails. While not all parrots are the brightly plumed, vivacious bird that the macaw is, all are beautiful and fascinating creatures.
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