By Richard Farinato

Parrots are the stuff of dreams. Almost any color you might imagine can be found adorning one or another of the more than 340 species of parrots living in the American, Asian, African, and Oceana tropic (and some not-so-tropic) zones.

One type is about 3 inches long with soft pastel green and turquoise feathers; another is almost 3 feet long with plumage of primary red, yellow, and blue, looking like a rainbow on the wing in flight. In Australia, solid white, solid black, and solid pink birds punctuate arid landscapes. Some parrots are so subtle in their coloration that they almost match the mosses and lichens and tree trunks amid which they live.

Although we may identify them by names other than "parrot" (budgie, parakeet, lovebird, cockatoo, macaw, lory, conure, and cockatiel), they are all, regardless of disparate size and coloring, members of the parrot family (Psittacidae). All share some common traits. One is a bill that is unmistakably hook-like; the other is a pair of very talented feet. They also share long life spans, complex social interactions between birds and among flock members, high intelligence, and great (though by no means melodious) vocal abilities, including mimicry.

In the wilds of South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia, parrots begin and end their days with noise. The dawn is saluted with cries and screams as the birds awaken and prepare to fly off to feeding grounds together. Dusk reverberates with the same sounds as the birds return to their roosting trees to settle in for the night.

Between feeding sessions, mated pairs or flock mates preen each others' feathers, making soft gurgling or growling sounds as they groom. The flock can seem like one gigantic organism instead of a group of individuals. This communal activity strengthens bonds between birds and offers protection from predators: It's hard to pick off an individual bird for attack in a large flock.

All parrots use their feet for much more than perching. They are adept at climbing, traveling effortlessly through the tangled branchwork of forest canopies. They also use their feet to scratch their heads, their necks, and that delicious spot under the lower mandible of the bill. Food items, whether fruit or nuts, are held in the foot and moved up to the bill in much the same way we eat a banana. Parrots' strong grip allows them to dangle upside down to reach that particularly ripe fruit on the end of a branch or to take advantage of a rain shower, hanging on with both feet while flapping their wings vigorously in what passes for a bath.

Their bill works closely with their feet. It is used almost like another foot or hand, assisting in climbing, reaching, or securing a hold. A powerful tool for cracking open hard nuts and excavating or enlarging a hole in a tree for a nest, the parrot's bill is a remarkable and versatile structure. Although parrots rarely engage in physical fighting, their bills can also be an effective offensive and defensive weapon.

Branch Locations

Head to toe, these birds are superbly adapted for life in the trees. And it is in the trees that the majority of activity goes on for the majority of parrot species.

Parrots feed primarily on fruits, nuts, foliage, buds, flowers, and seeds. Some eat only nectar from flowers. These foods are gathered from various locations and trees, depending on what season of the year it is and what is abundant. Trees also provide a safe place for the flock to spend the night, high up on thin branches that won't bear the weight of predatory animals. And when it comes time for parrots to raise a nest of babies, the parents seek out a cavity in the trunk of a tree or enlarge one in a soft or rotting trunk.

Parrots lay two to four eggs in a nest, which generally contains little or no bedding material. Although both sexes may share incubation duties in some species, in most cases the female does the sitting. The male feeds her during this period and in the first days after the chicks hatch. Later on, when the female begins to leave the nestlings for short periods of time to feed herself, both parents nourish the young.

Parrots feed their babies by regurgitation, pumping a rich milky mixture of partially digested food into the youngster's wide-open bills. Devoted parents, they keep this up until their babies have feathered out and left the nest. Even then, the family will stay together while the babies learn the ins and outs of parrot life, which can be complicated.

Learned skills are critical for parrots, since they live very long lives: 50–70 years for the larger species and 15–20 for smaller types. The rigors of a life in the wild (predators, parasites, and weather extremes) may shorten this span, but that doesn't mean a bird can ignore learning where the best trees are for feeding and sleeping, or where the mineral-rich cliffs are, or how to sound an alarm call when a hawk is spotted. The flock structure provides lots of models to follow, as well as the added protection of numbers.

The Burdens of Beauty

Even though we don't normally associate parrots with America, one species once ranged over much of the eastern United States in huge numbers: the Carolina parakeet. Tragically, the species was wiped out by humans; the last one died in an Ohio zoo in 1918.

Parrots are again flying wild in the United States, however, even if they are not native to the states they now inhabit. Several species, from budgies to Amazons, have become established in places like California, Florida, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York. These populations are made up of escaped pet birds, and there are differing opinions on whether this is a good or bad situation. Some people are thrilled with a parrot at their bird feeder; others look at the birds as a threat to their fruit or grain crops. Regardless of your point of view, these birds are obviously as tough and adaptable as they are beautiful.

Parrots worldwide, however, are in trouble. The twin threats of habitat loss and human encroachment—added to the constant demand for these birds as pets—have caused the disappearance of some species and the real risk of extinction for many more. Since Roman times, the pet parrot has been a highly sought-after status symbol. Now, it's not just royalty that keeps a parrot. Birds as a whole routinely show up as the third or fourth most popular pet in U.S. pet industry surveys. And although captive breeding may take some of the pressure off a wild species, the marketing of any animal in large numbers brings with it humane and ethical questions.

Richard Farinato is The HSUS's Director of Captive Wildlife Programs and the Wildlife Advocacy Division.