There are over 500 species of parrots worldwide. They are native to tropical regions, but some live in temperate climates too. Parrots are highly social animals, and their intelligence makes them great pets.
Not all species of parrot are suitable to be kept as pets, but they are all unique and interesting.
If you are interested in owning a parrot or you want to learn more about this interesting animal then keep reading. We have put together this useful A to Z list of different types of parrots to help you understand more about the various species.
Amazon Parrots
Amazon parrots are confident and chatty. This, along with their ability to adapt very well to living in captivity, makes them ideal to be kept as pets.
They will talk a lot and they don’t mind being kept in a cage. However, they are extremely intelligent. This means that they need a lot of mental stimulation to stop them from getting bored.
They will require plenty of interaction and attention, and some fun toys to keep them entertained. If you let your Amazon parrot get bored then they are likely to begin displaying some negative behaviors.
Blue And Yellow Macaws
Next on the list is a type of parrot that gets its name from the brightly colored feather. The tail feathers and wings of these parrots tend to be blue, whilst the underside is bright yellow or golden.
This contrasts with their green forehead, white face, and black beak, creating a colorful and exciting appearance that is very enticing to bird owners.
If you are going to keep macaws then you need to make sure that their cage or aviary is plenty big enough. These birds can easily grow up to 3 feet in length and their wingspan is up to 4 feet.
You don’t want your macaw to feel cramped and not be able to stretch. You will need a supportive cage as they weigh up to 3 pounds.
Cockatoos
Cockatoos are a well-known and much-loved favorite among bird enthusiasts. Their most recognizable feature is the crest of feathers on the top of their head, a display that will catch your attention and looks very endearing.
However, there is plenty more to enjoy with these birds. They have fascinating and funny personalities, often making their owners laugh. These fun birds make lovely pets and are great for families.
Dusky-Headed Parakeet
This type of parrot is less commonly kept as a pet. Their natural habitat is around the river basins along the West of the Amazon river- countries like Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Bolivia.
They are very sociable and like to live in small groups or pairs. To supplement their diet, they eat some of the soil around the river basin which is very rich in minerals.
Eclectus
This is quite a small species of parrot compared to many of the others. With many types of parrots, it is difficult to tell the difference between the genders, but with the Eclectus it is easy.
The males are much more colorful, with red feathers on the underside of their wings and along the sides of their bodies and blue feathers on top of the wings.
The females, however, are mostly red. They also have some muted purple feathers on their breast and abdomen. These color differences make it simple to tell males and females apart, but only once they reach maturity.
Finsch’s Parakeet
The Finsch’s Parakeet, also known as the crimson-fronted parakeet, is not very red at all. They have a red cap of feathers, orange feathers around their eyes, but the rest of their feathers are green.
They are quite small and tend to live in moist lowlands and forests in neotropical climates. This includes Counties like Western Panama and Costa Rica.
Golden Parakeet
Unfortunately, the Golden Parakeet is classed as an endangered species. There are very few left in the wild and they are at a high risk of extinction.
They have a very interesting and beautiful appearance. They have yellow feathers, apart from their outer wings which are green in color. Their beaks are horn colored and their legs are pink. Their eyes have light pink rings round them with brown irises.
Hawk Headed Parrots
Like the Amazon parrots, Hawk Headed parrots live in rainforest regions of South America. However, they are much smaller in size.
They are known for their intelligence and problem-solving skills which makes them very good at foraging for food, often finding creative ways to ensure that they get the best food available to them.
They have an interesting visual feature- when they are frightened or startled, their neck feathers rise to create a fan around their head. This is designed to make them appear more intimidating.
Imperial Amazon
You are unlikely to see this type of parrot being kept as a pet. They are one of the rarest species of parrot and are found in only a few select places. Their main habitat is the mountains of the Dominican Republic where there are plenty of forests for them to live in, tucked away in the trees.
They have lived there for centuries, enjoying a quiet life away from humans. They are extremely shy and private birds. Both males and females look very similar and have attractive appearances.
Jandaya Parakeet
This medium-sized parrot lives in the forests of Northern Brazil, where its population is thriving. They have a bright and vivid appearance that is mostly green in color. They are considered to look similar to Sun Conures.
Kawall’s Amazon
This species of parrot seems to only live in one area- The Amazon basin in Brazil. The males and females of the species both look the same. Their feathers are mostly green in color, with some black feathers at the crown, the neck, and the upper mantle.
Their tail feathers are also green, with some yellow detailing at the tips. The side tail feathers, however, have red bases with flashes of blue and purple at the edges.
Lovebirds
A lot of people assume that Lovebirds do not belong to the parrot family because they are so small. They get their name from their monogamous behavior as they mate for life.
This mating pattern underpins the social stability of the whole flock and is the driving force of most of their actions.
Lovebirds display distressed and erratic traits if their mate dies or they are separated from each other, which some experts say has similarities to humans experiencing grief or depression.
Macaws
There are several different types of macaws, They have a striking appearance that is very popular with bird owners. They are also very loud and chatty, often learning to mimic human speech.
Macaws are the largest species of parrot and they are very well adapted to their natural habitat- the rainforest. They mate for life, similar to lovebirds.
Nanday Parakeets
Nanday Parakeets have a black beak and markings that look like a black facial mask. This stands out against their green coloring, giving them a striking appearance.
Their flight feathers are long and trailing and edged in blue color.
Orange-Fronted Parakeets
These parrots make their nests in excavated cavities.
They like to feed on fruit and flowers, and are seen as pests by banana and maize farmers who find that their ripening crops are often damaged.
Poicephalus
This type of parrot is much stockier than the others, with big heads and wide tails that have blunt feathers.
They are sociable and make lovely pets, but they are one of the silent species so don’t expect them to make much noise.
Red-Bellied Macaw
Whilst the underside and abdomen of this bird have red feathers, most of their feathers are green. Their faces are bare, with yellow skin and no feathers.
This gives them quite an unusual appearance. The irises of their eyes are dark brown. They are categorized as mini macaws, though they are the largest of this type of parrot. In the wild, they like to live in tropical climates.
Spix’s Macaw
These parrots are small, dainty, and elegant. They are also known as light blue macaws due to their plumage. They have blue-gray feathers which are brighter blue on the tail, and their crown is an ash blue color.
They have a section of featherless skin around their eyes which is a dark gray color.
Turquoise-Winged Parrotlet
This is another species of parrot that is very easy to sex as the male and female genders display different colors. The males have a purple-blue under-wing with bright turquoise on their rump and lower back.
However, the females have a bright yellow-green color without the blue features.
Vulturine Parrot
These parrots get their name from their head which is bare and looks a bit like a vulture. However, the rest of their body looks very different. Their chest feathers are olive-brown.
Their tails are short and square, with blunt tips and green feathers. The underside of their tails is yellow with blue tips. The underside of their wings is red.
White-Eyed Parakeets
These medium-sized parrots are predominantly green in color with some red under their wings and on their head. They also have a white ring around their eye, which is what gives them their name.
They can be found in the lowlands of South America, mainly in the North and the center.
Yellow-Naped Amazon Parrot
These parrots make excellent pets and are very popular with bird enthusiasts. This is because they are very vocal and chatty, thriving from attention and interaction with their owners.
They are confident and funny and love playing with different kinds of toys in their enclosure.
Summary
As you can see, there are lots of different species of parrot and each one has individual characteristics that make it unique. Some are better suited to be kept as pets than others, and some can only be found in the wild.
Whether you want to own a parrot or you just want to learn more about them, there are plenty of different types of parrot that you can research and explore.
Harlan Derricks, nice to meet you. I created this online resource in the hopes of educating more people about the wonders of parrots, including their species, sizes, and more.
But I don’t just want to stop with parrots. I want to give every bird an opportunity to be marveled at and rescued by my education. If just one of my readers learned something valuable about budgies, cockatiels, or parakeets, then I’d be happy with my success.
