Buffalo Parrot

-The worlds rarest wild Parrot is the Spix's Macaw.  Some now believe this Parrot may be extinct in the wild although a few survive in captivity.  The last sighting of the last wild Spix's was in 2000.

-Some may not believe it but Lovebirds don't always mate/bond for life. Just like the human society, divorces can and do happen.

-The only Parrot species indigenous entirely to the U.S.A. was the Carolina ParakeetCarolina Conure.  In 1939 the species was officially declared extinct.

-The oldest living Parrot seems to be a Blue and Gold Macaw (named Charlie) that was owned by Winston Churchill.  This Parrot is 108 years old and supposedly still blurts out anti-Nazi comments! 

-The Thick Billed Parrot is the only other species native to parts of the U.S.A.  It's habitat ranged from Mexico, north into Arizona and New Mexico.  Due to predators, human population and hunting, this species is now only found south in Mexico.  Efforts are being made to re-introduce this species back into the U.S.A. 

-Winston Churchill (the one with the oldest Parrot) owned a Blue and Gold Macaw, African Gray Parrot and Budgerigar.

-The most Famous Parrot in the world was Alex an African Gray Parrot.  In 1977, Dr. Irene Pepperberg purchased Alex from a pet store hoping to disprove that Parrots were just mimics. After over 30 years of work with Alex he developed amazing cognitive abilities and possessed more than 100 vocal labels for various objects, actions and colors.  He could also identify certain objects by there particular material.. Alex died in 2007. You can see more about Alex and donate to the Alex Foundation on the Home page.

-Andrew Jackson owned a Parrot.

-Ulysses S. Grant owned a Parrot.

-Calvin Coolidge owned a Parrot.

-George Washington owned a Parrot.

-Theodore Roosevelt owned a Macaw.

-William Mckinley owned a Double Yellow-Headed Amazon. 

-The most popular Parrot is probably the talented A.J. an Indian Ringnecked Parakeet.  A.J. has been on T.V. 20+ times, knows more than 20 amazing tricks, speaks over 30 words and frequently appears at children's hospitals & schools.  His popularity on the internet is growing.  You can see more on A.J. on our Home Page by clicking his link. 

-The largest Parrot in the world is the Hyacinth Macaw.

-Evidence shows that Parrots were bred by humans as far back as the Pre-Historic Times.  Macaws were bred far from tropics during pre-Columbian times.
Colorful birds possibly raised for ceremonial and trade purposes long before Spanish arrival.  Macaw pens at the prehistoric site of Paquimé in northwestern Mexico were made of adobe and contained stone doors with stone plugs. New research suggests that large-scale breeding of scarlet macaws occurred there.

-The Moluccan Cockatoo has a Beak capable of exerting 500 pounds of pressure!

-Parrots can see ultraviolet light, which is invisible to humans

-The Buff Faced Pygmy Parrot is the smallest Parrot in the world. 

-Many years ago Parrots & Parakeets were used in parades in India.  They were also part of the culture in some cities of the Aztec Indians.

- PARROTS GLOW IN THE DARK.  Although all birds have feather pigments that give them their color, only the Parrots have a special yellow pigment that glows under ultraviolet light; the significance is unknown.

-The Puerto Rican Amazon is the only species of Parrot endemic to the territories of the U.S.A. It is one of the 10 most endangered birds in the world.

-The Alexandrine Parakeet  was named after Alexander the Great who brought Parrots from India in the 300's BC.  Other Parrots who were named after royalty or famous people include the Regent Parrot, Queen of Bavaria Conure, Princess Parrot, King Parrot, Imperial Amazon, Duchess Lorikeet and the Cardinal Lory.

-Sometimes Parrots were used to alert soldiers of incoming aircrafts during World War II. 

-The heaviest Parrot in the world is the Kakapo also called the Night Parrot or Owl Parrot. 

-The Ground Parrot, Night Parrot, Kakapo and Antipodes Island Parakeet are the only ground-dwelling Parrots.

-The Romans brought back Parrots from India around 2,300 years ago for the Rich who could afford them.  Some Romans even had slaves care for them.

-Many consider the Budgerigar the best talking Parrot species, despite it's small size.  A Budgie named Puck officially became known as the bird with the most words in the 1995 guinnes book of world records, saying over 1,700 words.

-One of the great entertainers for the Romans was the African Gray Parrot.

-Queen Isabella of Spain received Parrots from Christopher Columbus.  They were brought to her from the America's.

-The English Budgerigar is the closest Parrot species to be considered domesticated. 

-Parrots are the only bird species that can use it's "foot" to bring food to it's mouth. 

-Parrots tongues are highly sensitive.  They have bones that make them extremely flexible and able to manipulate objects like we do with our fingers.

-Explorers brought Macaws to Europe from the America's in the early 1500's.

-Lories' and Lorikeets' main diet consists of nectar, pollen and soft fruits.  They have specialized brush-tipped tongues for this unique diet. 

-The only truly nocturnal species of Parrot is the Kakapo. Also called the Night Parrot or Owl Parrot.

-The Indigo Winged Parrot also called the Fuertes's Parrot was considered to be extinct for 91 years.  Two Columbians recently photographed 14 and confirmed the specie's existence in Central Columbia.

-Though not related to bats, the Hanging Parrots sleeps upside-down. 

-Cockatiels are indeed "little" Cockatoos.  They are from the order Psittaciformes(Parrots), Family Cacatuidae(Cockatoos) and the subfamily Nymphicinae(Cockatiels).  They are the only subfamily species of Nymphicinae, with no subspecies.

-Most, if not all, Parrots sleep/rest on one foot. 

-There are many non-native wild parrots living in the U.S.A.  Some of these flocks can be seen in Florida, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Brooklyn, New Jersey, Arizona, Hawaii, Texas and more.

-Parrots will sometimes regurgitate on or near their owners.  This is a natural action that expresses their affection to another.

-There is no known proof that Pirates owned or even liked Parrots.  They most likely had them around for trade and they probably did give them some amusement. 

-The oldest known Parrot dates back to the Cretaceous period (70 million years ago).  A fossil of a lower jaw belonging to a Parrot was discovered  in Wyoming, U.S.A.  This appears to represent the oldest known Parrot.  There is some dispute over this finding.  Most likely a fossil from Europe dating back 50 million years is the oldest.

-Parrots in human culture date back to ancient times (3,000+years ago) and in many cultures and continents. 

-Some species of Conures, Amazons & Macaws will eat the clay from clay cliffs in South America.  This is probably done because of the rich mineral content in the clay. 

-Hyacinth Macaws will sometimes eat nuts that have been digested by cattle. 

-Quaker Parakeets & some species of Lovebirds are the only Parrot species that build stick nests.  All other Parrots nest in the cavities of trees, cliffs, cactus, etc.. Patagonian Conures burrow deep into earth cliffs.

-Budgerigars (Budgies) are Parakeets, but not all Parakeets are Budgerigars. 

-Most Parrots live in the rainforests and savannas of the tropics and sub-tropics.  Many also live in alpine, desert, mediterranean, temperate climates and even one species lives in the sub-Antarctic region (Antipodes Island Parakeet). This species is also a scavenger of meat, is the most Southerly species and is predatory.

-The most northerly Parrot is the Scaly Headed Parakeet from Eastern Afghanistan. 

-The largest predatory Parrot is the Kea from New Zealand.  This Parrot also lives in high altitudes in the snow and cold.

-Romans commonly kept Indian Ring Necked Parakeets as pets.  They would have slaves care for them and even try to teach them to talk. 

-The Kakapo, also known as the Owl or Night Parrot, is the only flightless Parrot species. 

-The Night Parrot (pezoporus  occidentalis), not to confuse with the Kakapo (strigopshabroptilus), which is also sometime called the Night Parrot. The population status of the Night Parrot is under much debate.  Estimates range from extinct to not threatened at all.  It is currently listed as critically endangered.

-There are 352 recognized Parrot Species and 582 Subspecies.

-Parrots' beaks are built to crack the shells of nuts, while smaller parrots' beaks are built to crack the shells of seeds & grains.                                                           

-There are 23 known EXTINCT species of Parrots.                   

These Parrots ranged west to Texas, north to Ohio and Pennsylvania and south to Florida. 

These Parrots were native to parts of the continental U.S.A. (Arizona & New Mexico).  Only found south in Mexico.                                                                                       

To The Top