Birds rank as the fourth most popular pet in America, behind dogs, cats, and fish. The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that there are over 7.5 million pet birds in American homes. It makes sense that a large number of those feathered companions are parrots, members of the psittacine family, given their endearing colors, daring actions, and frequently goofy dispositions.
Parrots may make amazing and demanding companions. They can pose some surprising difficulties for those who are used to cuddly mammalian friends. The bright, gregarious, long-living birds require a specific level of care and enrichment. Without it, they risk getting so bored or anxious that they snap out their own feathers with their strong, hooked beaks.
Local breeders provide some parrots for pet ownership, but there is a global network of exotic parrot traders, which has led to a major reduction in the number of wild parrots and biodiversity in their natural environments. Luckily, the 1992 Wild Bird Conservation Act and the international treaty that governs the importation of endangered plants and animals, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, put limits on the trafficking of wild birds into the United States.
Due to their affinity with the tropics and their capacity for mimicry, parrots have made an appearance on the shoulders of pirates, among fans of Jimmy Buffett, and in animal comedies. To commemorate the animal that inspired “Polly wants a cracker,” here are 14 interesting facts about parrots:
1. Certain parrots are tool-users.
Alex the African grey parrot, one of the most well-known parrots, was reputed to be as intelligent as a five-year-old child. He became emotionally attached to the owner, Irene Pepperberg; “You be good” was his parting message to her. I cherish you. As it happens, some members of the psittacine tribe are also very intelligent in practical ways.
The pulverization of cockle shells by captive greater vasa parrots (Coracopsis vasa) was noticed by researchers from the Universities of York and St Andrews, who used pebbles and date pits. Before mating, male vasas consumed the crushed powder and served the females a snack high in calcium. Thank goodness you got chocolates.
2. Toes on parrots are designed for climbing.
Parrots have four toes per foot, each ending in a sharp claw, just like the majority of other birds. Yet, parrot toes are arranged for optimal grip rather than the typical three-in-front-one-behind arrangement: two points forward and two points backward, a configuration known as zygodactylous. Parrots have extraordinary ability to eat because of their ability to grasp and hold food with their toes, in addition to having beaks strong enough to crack even the hardest nuts. Parrots can climb quite well and efficiently thanks to their special claws.
3. Not every parrot lives in the tropics.
Most of the 350 or so species of parrots that are currently known to exist are found in tropical and subtropical climates in the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Australia. However, some parrots stray from the usual route. For example, the endangered maroon-fronted parrot lives above 6,000 feet in Mexico’s Sierra Madre Oriental, whereas keas nest in ground burrows in the alpine highlands of New Zealand.
4. Polly also desires the mutton.
As omnivores, parrots are common. They usually eat vegetation, such as fruit, seeds, and nuts, but they will occasionally eat meat and insects. For example, the rainbow-colored lories and lorikeets of the South Pacific use tongues shaped like paintbrushes to feed nearly exclusively on nectar. However, feeding stations in Australia have been observed to serve meat to even these birds. Originally from New Zealand, birds were first observed attacking, killing and eating sheep in 1868. The mountain parrots were persecuted as sheep-killers until 1986, when the species was granted protected status.
5. In contrast to other birds, parrots are asexual in nature.
The majority of parrot species have nearly similar male and female appearances. To tell a male from a female, you usually need a lab test in addition to a sharp eye. However, other species, such as eclectus parrots, have such dissimilar male and female appearances that they were long mistaken for separate bird species. The ladies are crimson and royal blue with black beaks and scarlet heads, while the males have flame-colored beaks with emerald green feathers.
6. There could be a third of the parrot species left in the globe.
An increasing number of parrot species are being added to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List as a result of habitat degradation and ongoing poaching for the pet trade of Threatened Species. In Ghana, logging has destroyed 99 percent of the African grey parrot population. African greys are also one of the most desired species in the realm of parrot pets. Illegal capture and trade of the birds has heavily contributed to their dwindling numbers in the wild.
7. Even a cat is as heavy as the heaviest parrot.
The variety of shapes and sizes that parrots can have is astounding. The buff-faced pygmy is the smallest species of psittacine, about the size of a hummingbird. It measures roughly three inches in length, which is the normal finger length for an adult human. The magnificent hyacinth macaw, with its length of around 3 feet, 4 inches from tip to tail, is the longest parrot in the world. However, the nocturnal, flightless kakapo of New Zealand prevails in the weight contest: The maximum weight of a mature male cat is over nine pounds, which is the average weight of an adult housecat.
8. Parrots are discerning creatures.
Parrots have roughly 350 taste buds on their tongues, compared to up to 10,000 on human tongues. The buds on parrots’ tongues are found in addition also on the back of the throat. The birds’ palates may not seem like much, but they’re functional: The birds can taste bitterness, which helps them avoid potentially poisonous foods, and sweetness. And, as parrot owners notice, the birds show preferences for certain foods.
9. The feathers of parrots have pigments that fight germs.
The stunning feathers of parrots are more than just eye candy; they provide a unique barrier against harm. The red, yellow, and green coloring on parrots’ feathers is caused by a pigment called pittacofulvin, which only these birds are known to make and is resistant to bacteria. Researchers subjected various feather hues to a harmful bacterial strain in a 2011 study published in Biology Letters, and they discovered that the pigments in the feathers actually assisted in shielding the magnificent plumage from deterioration.
10. You might not outlive your pet parrot.
When looking for a parrot as a friend, many individuals are unaware of the fact that many parrots have lifespans that are similar to those of humans. Bigger species, such as cockatoos and macaws, have a 35–50 year lifespan in captivity. African grey Tarbu lived a long and healthy life in England. Cookie, a pink cockatoo living at Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo, was the oldest parrot in captivity until he died at nearly 83 years old in 2016.
11. They converse as well. They make music.
Although parrots are known for being talkative in general, Puck, a cheerful blue parakeet, received special recognition for his diction. Puck was a budgerigar that belonged to Camille Jordan in California. His 1,728-word vocabulary earned him a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1995.
With their vocal prowess, numerous other parrots have also made headlines. Groucho and other well-known vocalists of Amazon parrots have delighted audiences with their renditions of songs like “How Much Is That Doggie in the Window.”
12. Even parrots travel.
While the majority of parrot species live in the same area year-round, a few species from the Ocean region migrate elsewhere to spend the winter. In Tasmania, the orange-bellied parrot, quick parrot, and blue-winged parrot all reproduce in winter—March or April, down under—they migrate across the Bass Strait to mainland Australia. The blue-winged is currently classified as a vulnerable species, while the swift and orange-bellied species are unfortunately critically endangered.
13. The activities of wild parrots remain a mystery.
It has never been easy to study parrots in the wild because many of them inhabit inaccessible places like densely forested jungles. Researchers have sought to use GPS trackers attached to parrots in order to investigate their routines, but the birds are adept at removing these unsightly devices from their bodies. Nonetheless, a 2015 study that was published in the Auk marked a breakthrough in the tracking of elusive psittacines. Researchers tracked a group of keas in New Zealand without apparent harm to the birds by covering GPS trackers in plastic that is resistant to bites.
14. There is a black sheep in the psittacine family.
The black palm cockatoo is the only species of cockatoo native to South Pacific rainforests that has almost exclusively dark feathers. The black palm, which is native to Australia, is also one of the hardest birds to produce and keep in captivity because it is not a loving bird by nature. Cockatoos only lay one egg per clutch, or attempt at nesting, and even in wild pairs, raising chicks can be challenging. Chicks typically die at the age of one year.