PARROT, the name of a large group of birds, which for centuries have attracted attention by their gaudy plumage and by the readiness with which many of them learn to repeat all kinds of sounds, including words and phrases of human speech. It must not be thought that this implies anything more than a mimetic power, or that the bird understands what it is saying. The parrots form the family Psittacidae of the order Psittaci. This order includes also the cuckoos and honey-eaters (qq.v.).
Although the majority of parrots are tropical, the Carolina parakeet (Conurus carolinensis) at the beginning of last century ranged as high as the shores of lakes Erie and Ontario, while C. patagonus reaches the Straits of Magellan. Two genera are peculiar to New Zealand. The region containing the greatest number of parrots in proportion to its area is that covered by the islands from Celebes to the Solomon group (Wallace, Geogr.
Distr. of Animals). The species with the widest range is the ring necked parakeet (Palaeonis torquatus), which extends from the mouth of the Gambia across Africa to the Red Sea, throughout India, Ceylon and Burmah to Tenasserim. Parrots are gregari ous and monogamous. The sexes are usually alike in appearance. The flight is low and undulating but powerful. The food is largely vegetable and is held in the claws—a unique feature. The voice is usually harsh. Parrots lay their eggs in holes in trees and rocks, or on the ground, and the eggs are white, from one to twelve forming the clutch. Perhaps the best talker is the African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus), which has a red tail.
See also MACAW; COCKATOO; KEA; LORY ; NESTOR; LOVE BIRD ; KAKAPO ; BIRDS.