Fun Parrots Facts For Kids

The parrot is a very sociable animal and the following facts make them all the more interesting! The name 'parrot' refers to a diverse number of flamboyant, raucous birds belonging to the Psittacidae family.

The term 'parrot' may also apply to any individual of the family of Psittaciformes of birds, which comprises cockatoos (family Cacatuidae). In earlier civilizations, parrots were kept as trapped birds, and they were known since they are humorous, intelligent, and loving.

There are 333 species of the Psittacidae family. Psittacidae, or pure parrots, is perhaps the biggest subfamily, including birds found in hot countries all over the world.

Seeds, buds, and certain fruits and bugs are eaten by blunt-tongued parrots. Many representatives of the sub-family are commonly classified as parrots, but different subgroups include names like macaw, parakeet, conure, and lovebird.

This article focuses on several interesting facts about parrots that everyone will love. Here, you will find some fun information on quaker parrots, macaw parrots, talking parrots, green parrots, rosella parrots, Australian parrots, and purple parrots.

So what are you waiting for? Get started on them now!

For more similar content check out the hummingbird and the honey bee.
 

Parrot Interesting Facts

What type of animal are parrots?

The parrot is a type of bird.

What class of animal do parrots belong to?

The parrot belongs to the class of Aves.

How many parrots are there in the world?

The exact population of parrots in the world is not known. However, research says that there are about 350 species of parrots left on the planet today.

Many birds have unfortunately gone extinct as a result of habitat loss and entrapment owing to the pet trade. According to the latest report, over 38% of Neotropical parrot species in America are threatened with extinction, and commercial practices such as poaching for local and foreign trade are contributing to this.

Where do parrots live?

Parrots typically live in woodlands, palm forests, rainforests, savannas, the edge of deserts, grasslands, and scrublands.

What is a parrot's habitat?

The majority of wild parrots reside in the warm southern hemisphere, but they can also be located in many other parts of the world, including northern Mexico. The majority of parrot species are found in Australia, and Central and South America.

However, not every parrot loves the sunshine. Snowy habitats are preferred by some parrots. Maroon-fronted parrots, keas, and thick-billed parrots are some examples of cold-weather parrots.

Who do parrots live with?

The majority of parrots are communal creatures or social birds who live in flocks. The African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) may survive in flocks of up to 30 birds.

However, many parrots are monogamous too, ensuring they only have one partner for the remainder of their lives. It is through the joint efforts of the mates, that parrots raise their chicks.

How long do parrots live?

Any big parrot species, such as massive cockatoos, macaws, and amazons often have long lives, with records of above 100 years. Lovebirds, budgies, and hanging parrots are small parrots with shorter lifespans of 15 – 20 years.

How do they reproduce?

The parrot reproduces by laying eggs. Like most other birds, they lay their eggs in nests.

Parrots prefer to lay their eggs in tree hollows, rock cavities, ground caves, and termite piles. The average parrot lays between two and eight eggs during a given period.

Since a parrot's egg must be incubated for 18-30 days until it can hatch, the female parrot stays in the nest, incubating the eggs, while the male parrot brings her food. Just a small layer of light, stringy feathers, called 'down feathers', is present when a parrot baby is born.

During the first fortnight of their existence, parrot babies are sightless.

They begin to develop their adult wings at three weeks. Based on the breed, the chick can take between one to four years to completely mature.

What is their conservation status?

Most parrot species are faced with extinction. As per the Kakapo Recovery Organization, the kakapo (Strigops habroptila) parrot is critically endangered. There are only around 150 remaining.

Around 50 orange-bellied parrots (Neophema chrysogaster) are known to exist in Australia, rendering it among the world's most critically endangered parrots. Another threatened parrot is the yellow-headed Amazon (Amazona oratrix), which has a greater distribution than the orange-bellied parrots or the kakapos.

There are just 7,000 yellow-headed Amazons living in the forest as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Parrot Fun Facts

What do parrots look like?

A powerful, angled bill, an erect posture, clawed zygodactyl feet, and sturdy legs with four toes are all characteristics of parrots. Many parrots have bright colors, and others have multiple colors. In the visible range, most parrots display little to no sexual dimorphism. Different species of parrots differ in size and length.

How cute are they?

Parrots are very cute in appearance. Their vivid colors and size with their long tail is what makes them look adorable. A parrot is also known for its sharp wit and ability to imitate, which adds to the cuteness of these colorful parrots.

How do they communicate?

In a complex communication system, parrots utilize their capacity to imitate sounds to target particular individuals. Parrots interact with others by using their entire body, their pupils, and their feathers.

These signals can be very clear, and just about any animal can decode them. Other body language cues can be implicit and it may take practice to accurately perceive them.

Many parrots have distinctive body language, such as an ecstatic Macaw blushing on its white face or an enraged Amazon spreading its tail. Many species of birds have similar body language.

How big is a parrot?

In terms of length, a parrot measures around 3.5 in - 40 in (8.7 cm - 100 cm). Parrots can be up to five times larger than a sparrow.

How fast can parrots fly?

A parrot can fly at speeds ranging from 81 mph - 200 mph (130 kmph - 322 kmph).

How much do parrots weigh?

The average parrot weighs around 0.14 lb - 8.8 lb (64 g - 4 kg).

What are their male and female names of the species?

The male parrot is called a cock, while the female parrot is called a hen.

What would you call a baby parrot?

A baby parrot is called a chick.

What do they eat?

The parrots are known to be omnivores, meaning they can consume both animal flesh and plants. Parrots eat nuts, flowers, and berries, though buds, seeds, and bugs make up the majority of a parrot's food.

Their primary food is seeds. They have powerful jaws that enable them to break open nutshells to access the seed within. Keas pick bugs out of the dirt with their long beaks, while kakapos suck on plants and intake the juices as their food.

Are they friendly?

Most parrots are highly affectionate, sometimes snug with trustworthy people, and expect regular care from their holders. Some parrots have a propensity to form bonds with one or two individuals and fear outsiders until they are handled by multiple people on a daily basis.

Parrots who have been well socialized will be fun, outgoing, and optimistic companions.

When parrots undergo training they can embrace and enjoy petting and canoodling from their owners; but, in such cases, such as scratching the back and underneath the wings the bird may perceive the body interaction as sexual conduct.

This is because in a parrot's natural habitat only the mate of these birds touches them in this manner. In pet parrots, it might lead to undesirable hormonal agitation, nesting behavior, and constant egg-laying.

Would they make a good pet?

Owing to their maturity and ability to communicate with humans, parrots as pets can be quite enjoyable for the appropriate owners. A pet parrot can be a sloppy bird, tossing food and scratching items with its beaks.

However, many parrots can be toilet trained. Moreover, a few species of Pionus and Amazona do have a unique smell that most owners find to be nice.

With a few noteworthy exceptions, several parrot species make suitable companions for many pet owners with allergies.

Both white cockatoo varieties, however, contain a lot of dirt from their down feathers, which can be a concern for allergy sufferers. Feather dust is also produced by cockatiels, the African grey parrot, and rose-breasted cockatoos if they are kept as pets.

Did you know...

Parrots can be said to talk, because they can imitate human language very well. They are among the very few birds who can do that. They learn speech by hearing the sound modulations and mimicking the same. Some parrots have been known to speak multiple languages, deliver TED talks, and even be in a metal band.

A parrot may be worth $15 - $3500. However, you should refrain from indulging in pet trade, or keeping them in a cage.

Parrots are wild birds that have been tamed to live in domesticity, and if not properly handled, they can indeed be dangerous. They are simply wild birds that have been tamed, unlike cats and dogs.

If proper treatment, preparation, and care are not given, both the holder and the pet can face unsafe situations. When frightened, upset, or angry, parrots will bite, pull feathers with their beak, and sometimes even yell.

The intelligent ability of parrots to understand and mimic noises is one of the reasons they are widely known. They can not only recognize and mimic the tones of other species, but even the sounds of the world and the human voice.

The 'talking' that we perceive from parrots is a combination of tones. They mimic a range of noises, including spoken phrases, creaking walls, and barking dogs. The majority of parrots actually imitate their masters. They have no idea what they're talking about.

There exist as many as 372 different species of parrot and further different types of parrots. This includes macaws. They all hail from different regions.

The majority of parrots are known to live in tropical environments.

Curved bills, sturdy wings, and clawed feet distinguish parrots.

Brightly colored parrots are known widely and are very popular.

Parrots are considered to be among the smartest birds as they can imitate human speech.

Seeds from fruit are the primary source of nutrition for most parrot species. Fruit, nectar, flowers, and tiny insects can be consumed by them too.

Pet parrots, like the budgie and the cockatiel, are common.

Few parrot species have a lifespan of more than 80 years.

The cockatoo comes in 21 distinct varieties. The cockatoo is commonly black, grey, or white in color.

The kea, kaka, and kakapo are three of New Zealand's most distinctive parrots.

Why do parrots kiss each other?

Kissing their flock partners is a way for this bird to express love for one another. When a mother bird touches its beak to its chick's this behavior is taught to the parrot as a baby. Parrots maintain this activity throughout their lives in order to strengthen their relationships with the other birds.

What is special about New Zealand's kea parrots?

The kea parrots from New Zealand are famous because they are the world's sole alpine parrot. Wild kea can only be found in New Zealand's South Island. This species of bird is located inside and near the alpine regions.

They breed in coastal forests on the West Coast of the South Island. Within the Southern Alps mountain forests, the bird can be found in the northern areas like Kahurangi National Park and also in the south in Fiordland. They are also located in the eastern peaks of Kaikoura.

Keas are also very proactive feeders that feed on plant stems, nuts, and flowers. But that does not limit their diet. The bird also feeds on the chicks of other birds, lizards, and butterflies. They have evolved to eat nearly everything since the arrival of humans.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds including the house finch and the blue and yellow macaw.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our parrot coloring pages.