True parrots

True parrots

Blue-and-gold Macaws
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Psittaciformes
Family:	Psittacidae Illiger, 1811
Subfamily
Loriinae (lories and lorikeets) Psittacinae (typical parrots and allies) (but see text)

The true parrots are about 330 species of bird belonging to the Psittacidae family, one of the two "traditional" families in the biological order Psittaciformes (parrots). The other family is the Cacatuidae (cockatoos) which are also parrots, but not classified as true parrots. True parrots are more widespread than cockatoos, with species in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Australia and eastwards across the Pacific Ocean as far as Polynesia.

The true parrot family is often considered to contain two subfamilies, the Psittacinae (typical parrots and allies) and the Loriinae (lories and lorikeets). However, there are other systems of classification and these two groups are sometimes ascribed full family status, being called Psittacidae and Loriidae.

Like most parrots the Psittacidae are primarily seed eaters. There is some variation in the diet of individual species, with fruits, nuts, leaves and even insects and other animal prey being taken on occasion by some species. The lorikeets are predominately nectar feeders; many other parrots will drink nectar as well. Most Psittacidae are cavity nesting birds which form monogamous pair bonds.

1 Phylogeny
2 Image gallery
3 Species lists
4 Books
5 External links

Phylogeny

Further information: Parrot

The order Psittaciformes (parrots) contains two families of parrots, the cockatoos and the true parrots. These seem to be less distinct from each other than the true parrot lineages are among themselves, and it appears as if eventually most major groups of living parrots will be given the same taxonomic rank. They will probably be treated as subfamilies for the most part, as the living Psittaciformes seem monophyletic with regards to several prehistoric families.

Family Psittacidae (true parrots)
- Subfamily Loriinae (lories and lorikeets)
- Subfamily Psittacinae (typical parrots and allies)
  - Tribe Arini (American psittacines)
  - Tribe Cyclopsittacini (fig parrots)
  - Tribe Micropsittini (pygmy parrots)
  - Tribe Platycercini (broad-tailed parrots) paraphyletic
  - Tribe Psittrichadini (Pesquet's Parrot)
  - Tribe Psittacini (African psittacines) paraphyletic
  - Tribe Psittaculini (Asian psittacines) paraphyletic

Image gallery

Scarlet Macaw	Scarlet Macaws	Black-hooded Parakeet or Nanday Conure, a popular South American species.	Chestnut-fronted Macaws, Yellow-crowned Amazons and Dusky-headed Conures at a clay lick in Ecuador
Puerto Rican Amazons at nesting site	Senegal Parrots	Rose-ringed Parakeet, a common species in Africa and Asia and feral in Europe And United States.	The Red-fronted Parakeet of New Zealand
The Pale-headed Rosella of Australia	The Musk Lorikeet of Australia	Yellow-streaked Lory of New Guinea	Blue-fronted Amazon parrot
The Budgerigar of Australia