- In the wild, Macaws and Cockatoos can fly 500 miles per day in search
of food!
- Some parrot vocalizations can be heard for up to 1 mile!
- Three hundred and twenty-eight different species of parrots live on
the Earth.
- Parrots are divided into groups such as cockatoos, lories, lovebirds,
macaws, and parakeets.
- Parrots range in size from the pygmy of the South Pacific which is
only 3½ inches long to the hyacinth macaw which is about 10 inches
long.
- Much of its length is in its long tail.
- Parrots weigh from just a few ounces to 3½ pounds.
- Most parrots are predominantly green, especially the ones from South
America.
- Some American parrots are mostly blue or yellow.
- However, parrots may have red, green, blue, purple, white, pink,
brown, yellow, and even black.
- They have large heads and short necks.
- The zygodactyolus feet of the parrot have two toes that point backwards
and two toes that point forward. These toes make the parrot excellent
climbers.
- Smaller parrots live 10 to 15 years.
- Larger parrots such as the macaws and cockatoos live more than 75
years.
- These birds reach maturity in 1 to 4 years.
- Wild parrots live in the forest of tropical zones including South
America, Australia, and New Guinea. A few live in Africa and mainland
Asia.
- Parrots are hole nesters. They build their nests in holes in trees,
termite mounts, rock cavities, or ground tunnels. A few exceptions will
build stick nests.
- The thick muscular tongue helps the parrot eat fruit, seeds, buds,
nectar, and pollen. Sometimes they will eat insects.
- Their strong beak is hooked. They feed their young by regurgitation.
- Wild parrots do not imitate
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