Fall Asleep Learning About Parrots

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Where I read random articles from across the web to bore you to sleep with my soothing voice.

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Benjamin Boster.

Today's episode is from a Wikipedia article titled,

Parrot.

Parrots,

Cetaceaforms,

Also known as Cetazines,

Are birds with a strong curved beak,

Upright stance,

And clawed feet.

They are conformed by four families that contain roughly 410 species in 101 genera,

Found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions.

The four families are the Ceticulidae,

Old World parrots,

Cetacidae,

African and New World parrots,

Cockatooidae,

Cockatoos,

And Strogopidae,

New Zealand parrots.

Parrots have a generally pantropical distribution with several species inhabiting temperate regions as well.

The greatest diversity of parrots is in South America and Australasia.

Parrots,

Along with ravens,

Crows,

Jays,

And magpies,

Are among the most intelligent birds,

And the ability of some species to imitate human speech enhances their probability as pets.

They form the most variable-sized bird order in terms of length.

Many are vividly colored and some multi-colored.

Most parrots exhibit little or no sexual dimorphism in the visual spectrum.

The most important components of most parrots diets are seeds,

Nuts,

Fruit,

Buds,

And other plant material.

A few species sometimes eat animals and carry on,

While the lorries and lorikeets are specialized for feeding on floral nectar and soft fruits.

Almost all parrots nest in tree hollows,

Or nest boxes in captivity,

And lay white eggs from which hatch altricial,

Helpless young.

Trapping wild parrots for the pet trade,

As well as hunting,

Habitat loss,

And competition from invasive species,

Has diminished wild populations,

With parrots being subjected to more exploitation than any other group of wild birds.

As of 2021,

About 50 million parrots,

Half of all parrots,

Live in captivity,

With a vast majority of these living as pets in people's homes.

Measures taken to conserve the habitats of some high-profile charismatic species have also protected many of the less charismatic species living in the same ecosystems.

Parrots are the only creatures that display true trepidatlism,

Using their necks and beaks as limbs,

With propulsive forces equal to or greater than those forces generated by the forelimbs of primates when climbing vertical surfaces.

They can travel with cyclical trepidal gaits when climbing.

Cetaciform diversity in South America and Australasia suggests that the order may have evolved in Gondwana,

Centered in Australasia.

The scarcity of parrots in the fossil record,

However,

Presents difficulties in confirming the hypothesis.

There is currently a higher number of fossil remains from the northern hemisphere in the early Cenozoic.

Molecular studies suggest that parrots evolved approximately 59 million years ago in Gondwana.

The neotropical parrots are monophyletic,

And the three major clades originated about 50 million years ago.

A single 15-millimeter fragment from a large lower bill found in deposits from the Lance Creek Formation in Niobrara County in Wyoming had been thought to be the oldest parrot fossil,

And is presumed to have originated from the late Cretaceous period,

Which makes it about 70 million years old.

However,

Other studies suggest that this fossil is not from a bird,

But from a non-avian dinosaur with a bird-like beak,

As several details of the fossil used to support its identity as a parrot are not actually exclusive to parrots,

And it is dissimilar to the earliest known unequivocal parrot fossils.

It is generally assumed that the Psittaciformes were present during the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event 66 million years ago.

They were probably generalized arboreal birds,

And did not have the specialized crushing bills of modern species.

Genomic analysis provides strong evidence that parrots are the sister group of passerines forming the clade Cetocapacari,

Which is the sister group of the falcons.

The first uncontroversial parrot fossils date to tropical Eocene Europe around 50 million years ago.

Initially,

A neo-avian named Mopsittatanta,

Uncovered in Denmark's early Eocene fir formation and dated to 54 million years ago,

Was assigned to the Psittaciformes.

However,

The rather nondescript bone is not unequivocally Psittaciforme.

And it may rather belong to the Ibis genus Rhynchiates,

Whose fossil legs were found in the same deposits.

Several fairly complete skeletons of parrot-like birds have been found in England and Germany.

These are probably not transitional fossils between ancestral and modern parrots,

But rather lineages that evolved parallel to true parrots and cockatoos.

The earliest record of modern parrots date to around 23 to 20 million years ago.

The fossil record,

Mainly from Europe,

Consists of bones clearly recognizable as belonging to anatomically modern parrots.

The southern hemisphere contains no known parrot-like remains earlier than the early Miocene around 20 million years ago.

The name Psittaciformes comes from the ancient Greek for parrot,

Psittacus,

Whose origin is unclear.

Theseus,

5th century BCE,

Recorded the name Psittacus after the Indian name for a bird,

Most likely a parakeet,

Now placed in the genus Psittacola.

Pliny the Elder,

In his Natural History,

Noted that the Indians called the birds as Psittacus.

However,

No matching Indian name has been traced.

Popinjay is an older term for parrots,

First used in English in the 1500s.

Molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that Psittaciformes form a monophyletic clade that is sister to the Passeriformes.

A time-calibrated phylogeny indicates that the ostrilaves diverged around 65 million years ago,

And the Psittaciformes diverged from the Passeriformes around 62 million years ago.

Living species range in size from the buff-faced pygmy parrot at under 10 grams in weight and 8 centimeters in length,

To the hyacinth macaw at 1 meter in length,

And the kakapo at 4 kilograms in weight.

Among the superfamilies,

The three extant Strogopoides species are all large parrots,

And the cockatoos tend to be large birds as well.

The Psittacoide parrots are far more variable,

Ranging the full spectrum of sizes shown by the family.

The most obvious physical characteristics is the strong,

Curved,

Broad bill.

The upper mandible is prominent,

Curves downward,

And comes to a point.

It is not fused to the skull,

Which allows it to move independently,

And contributes to the tremendous biting pressure the birds are able to exert.

A large macaw,

For example,

Has a bite force of 500 pounds per square inch,

Close to that of a large dog.

The lower mandible is shorter,

With a sharp,

Upward-facing cutting edge,

Which moves against the flat part of the upper mandible in an anvil-like fashion.

Touch receptors occur along the inner edges of the carotene's bill,

Which are collectively known as the bill-tip organ,

Allowing for highly dexterous manipulations.

Seed-eating parrots have a strong tongue,

Containing similar touch receptors to those in the bill-tip organ,

Which helps to manipulate seeds or position nuts in the bill,

So that the mandibles can apply an appropriate cracking force.

The head is large,

With eyes positioned high and laterally in the skull,

So the visual feel of parrots is unlike any other birds.

Without turning its head,

A parrot can see from just below its bill-tip,

All above its head,

And quite far behind its head.

Parrots also have quite a wide frontal binocular field for a bird,

Although this is nowhere near as large as primate binocular visual fields.

Unlike humans,

The vision of parrots is also sensitive to ultraviolet light.

Parrots have strong zygodactyl feet,

Two toes facing forward and two back,

With sharp,

Elongated claws,

Which are used for climbing and swinging.

Most species are capable of using their feet to manipulate food and other objects with a high degree of dexterity,

In a similar manner to a human using their hands.

A study conducted with Australian parrots has demonstrated that they exhibit handedness,

A distinct preference with regards to the foot used to pick up food,

With adult parrots being almost exclusively left-footed or right-footed,

And with the prevalence of each preference within the population varying by species.

Cockatoo species have a mobile crest of feathers on the top of their heads,

Which they can raise for display and retract.

No other parrots can do so,

But the Pacific lorikeets in the genera Vinny and Fidgis can ruffle the feathers of the crown and nape,

And the red-fanned parrot,

Or hawk-headed parrot,

Has a prominent feather-neck frill that it can raise and lower at will.

The predominant color of plumage in parrots is green,

Though most species have some red or another color in small quantities.

Cockatoos,

However,

Are predominantly black or white with some red,

Pink,

Or yellow.

Strong sexual dimorphism in plumage is not typical among parrots,

With some notable exceptions,

The most striking being the Eclectus parrot.

However,

It has been shown that some parrot species exhibit sexually dimorphic plumage in the ultraviolet spectrum,

Normally invisible to humans.

Parrots are found on all tropical and subtropical continents and regions,

Including Australia and Oceania,

South Asia,

Southeast Asia,

Central America,

South America,

And Africa.

Some Caribbean and Pacific islands are home to endemic species.

By far the greatest number of parrot species come from Australasia and South America.

The lories and lorikeets range from Sulawesi in the Philippines,

In the north of Australia,

And across the Pacific as far as French Polynesia,

With the greatest diversity being found in and around Guinea.

The subfamily Arany encompasses all the neotropical parrots,

Including the Amazons,

Macaws,

And Conures,

And ranges from northern Mexico and the Bahamas to Tierra del Fuego in the southern tip of South America.

The pygmy parrots,

Tribe Microcydone,

Form a small genus restricted to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

The superfamily Strogopoide contains three living species of aberrant parrots from New Zealand.

The broad-tailed parrots are restricted to Australia,

New Zealand,

And the Pacific Islands as far eastwards as Fiji.

The true parrot superfamily Psittacoide includes a range of species from Australia and New Guinea to South Asia and Africa.

The center of cockatoo biodiversity is Australia and New Guinea,

Although some species reach the Solomon Islands,

Wallacia,

And the Philippines.

Several parrots inhabit the cool,

Temperate regions of South America and New Zealand.

Three species,

The thick-billed parrot,

The green parakeet,

And the now-extinct Carolina parakeet,

Have lived as far as the southern United States.

Many parrots,

Especially monk parakeets,

Have been introduced to areas with temperate climates and have established stable populations in parts of the United States,

Including New York City,

The United Kingdom,

Belgium,

Spain,

And Greece.

These birds can be quite successful in introduced areas,

Such as the non-native population of red-crowned amazons in the U.

S.

,

Which may rival that of their native Mexico.

The only parrot to inhabit alpine climates is the kia,

Which is endemic to the Southern Alps mountain range in New Zealand's South Island.

Few parrots are wholly sedentary or fully migratory.

Most fall somewhere between the two extremes,

Making poorly understood regional movements,

With some adopting an entirely nomadic lifestyle.

Only three species are migratory,

The orange-bellied,

Blue-winged,

And swift parrots.

Numerous challenges are found in studying wild parrots,

As they are difficult to catch,

And once caught,

They are difficult to mark.

Most wild bird studies rely on banding or wing-tagging,

But parrots chew off such attachments.

Parrots also tend to range widely,

And consequently,

Many gaps occur in knowledge of their behavior.

Some parrots have a strong direct flight.

Most species spend much of their time perched or climbing in tree canopies.

They often use their bills for climbing by gripping or hooking on branches and other supports.

Researchers at the New York Institute of Technology published findings that showed parrots use their beaks as a third limb to propel themselves.

On the ground,

Parrots often walk with a rolling gait.

The diet of parrots consists of seeds,

Fruit,

Nectar,

Pollen,

Buds,

And sometimes arthropods and other animal prey.

The most important of these for most true parrots and cockatoos are seeds.

A large and powerful bill is evolved to open and consume tough seeds.

All true parrots,

Except the pescase parrot,

Employ the same method to obtain the seed from the husk.

The seed is held between the mandibles,

And the lower mandible crushes the husk,

Whereupon the seed is rotated in the bill,

And the remaining husk is removed.

They may use their foot sometimes to hold large seeds in place.

Parrots are granivores rather than seed dispersers,

And in many cases where they are seen consuming fruit,

They are only eating the fruit to get at the seed.

They are only eating the fruit to get at the seed.

As seed often have poisons that protect them,

Parrots carefully remove seed coats and other chemically defended fruit parts prior to ingestion.

Many species in the Americas,

Africa,

And Papua New Guinea consume clay,

Which releases minerals and absorbs toxic compounds from the gut.

Geographical range and body size predominantly explains the diet composition of neotropical parrots rather than phylogeny.

Lories,

Lorikeets,

Hanging parrots,

And swift parrots are primarily nectar and pollen consumers,

And have tongues with brushed tips to collect it,

As well as some specialized gut adaptations.

Many other species also consume nectar when it becomes available.

Some parrot species prey on animals,

Especially invertebrate larvae.

Golden-winged parakeets prey on water snails.

The New Zealand kia can,

Though uncommonly,

Hunt adult sheep.

And the Antipodes parakeet,

Another New Zealand parrot,

Enters the burrow of nesting gray-backed storm petrels and kills the incubating adults.

Some cockatoos in the New Zealand kaka excavate branches and wood to feed on grubs.

The bulk of the yellow-tailed black cockatoo's diet is made up of insects.

Some extinct parrots had carnivorous diets.

Sudasterids were probably cuckoo or puffbird-like insectivores,

While mesolasterids were raptor-like carnivores.

Some gray parrots have shown an ability to associate words with their meanings and form simple sentences.

Along with crows,

Ravens,

And jays,

Family Corvidae,

Parrots are considered the most intelligent of birds.

The brain-to-body size ratio of cytosines and corvines is comparable to that of higher primates.

Instead of using the cerebral cortex like mammals,

Birds use the meteorostral HPC for cognition.

Not only have parrots demonstrated intelligence,

Not only have parrots demonstrated intelligence through scientific testing of their language-using ability,

But also some species of parrots,

Such as the kia,

Are also highly skilled at using tools and solving puzzles.

Learning in early life is apparently important to all parrots,

And much of that learning is social learning.

Social interactions are often practiced with siblings,

And in several species,

Crutches are formed with several broods.

Foraging behavior is generally learned from parents and can be a very protracted affair.

Generalists and specialists generally become independent of their parents much quicker than partially specialized species,

Who may have to learn skills over long periods,

As various resources become seasonally available.

Play forms a large part of learning in parrots.

Play can be solitary or social.

Species may engage in play fights or wild flights to practice predator evasion.

An absence of stimuli can delay the development of young birds,

As demonstrated by a group of Vasa parrots kept in tiny cages with domesticated chickens from the age of three.

At nine months,

These birds still behaved in the same way as three-month-olds,

But had adopted some chicken behavior.

In a similar fashion,

Captive birds in zoo collections or pets can,

If deprived of stimuli,

Develop stereotyped and mischievous behaviors.

In the case of young parrots,

Their behavior may be similar to that of young birds,

But their behavior may be different from that of young parrots.

Can,

If deprived of stimuli,

Develop stereotyped and harmful behaviors,

Like self-plucking.

Aviculturists working with parrots have identified the need for environmental enrichment to keep parrots stimulated.

Many parrots can imitate human speech or other sounds.

A study by scientist Irene Pepperbeg suggested a high learning ability in a gray parrot named Alex.

Alex was trained to use words to identify objects,

Describe them,

Count them,

And even answer complex questions such as,

How many red squares,

With over 80% accuracy.

In Kissy,

Another gray parrot has been shown to have a vocabulary of around a thousand words,

And has displayed an ability to invent and use words in context in correct tenses.

Parrots do not have vocal cords,

So sound is accomplished by expelling air across the mouth of the trachea and the organ called the syrinx.

Different sounds are produced by changing the depth and shape of the trachea.

Gray parrots are known for their superior ability to imitate sounds and human speech,

Which has made them popular pets since ancient times.

Although most parrot species are able to imitate,

Some of the Amazon parrots are generally regarded as the next best imitators and speakers of the parrot world.

The question of why birds imitate remains open,

But those that do often score very high on tests designed to measure problem-solving ability.

Wild gray parrots have been observed imitating other birds.

Besides imitation,

It is possible that parrots could be trained to use simple communication tools,

E.

G.

To request food or a favorite activity by pushing a button.

Parrots are unusual among birds due to their learned vocalizations,

A trade they share with only hummingbirds and songbirds.

The syrinx,

Vocal organ of parrots,

Which aids in their ability to produce song,

Is located at the base of the trachea and consists of two complex syringal muscles that allow for the production of sound vibrations and a pair of lateral tympaniform membranes that control sound frequency.

The position of the syrinx in birds allows for directed airflow into the interclavicular air sacs according to air sac pressure,

Which in turn creates a higher and louder tone in birds' singing.

A 2011 study stated that some African gray parrots preferred to work alone,

While others like to work together.

With two parrots,

They know the order of tasks,

Or when they should do something together at once,

But they have trouble exchanging roles.

With three parrots,

One parrot usually prefers to cooperate with one of the other two,

But all of them are cooperating to solve the task.

Parrots may not make good pets for most people because of their natural wild instincts,

Such as screaming and chewing.

Although parrots can be very affectionate and cute when immature,

They often become aggressive when mature,

Partly due to mishandling and poor training,

And may bite,

Causing serious injury.

For this reason,

Parrot rescue groups estimate that most parrots are surrendered and rehomed through at least five homes before reaching their permanent destinations,

Or before dying prematurely from unintentional or intentional neglect and abuse.

The parrots' ability to mimic human words in their bright colors and beauty prompt impulse buying from unsuspecting consumers.

The domesticated budgerigar,

A small parrot,

Is the most popular of all pet bird species.

In 1992,

The newspaper USA Today published that 11 million pet birds were in the United States alone,

Many of them parrots.

Europeans kept birds matching the description of the rose-ringed parakeet,

Or called the ring-necked parakeet,

Documented particularly in a first-century account by Pliny the Elder.

As they have been prized for thousands of years for their beauty and ability to talk,

They have also often been misunderstood.

For example,

Author Wolfgang de Graal says in his 1987 book,

The Gray Parrot,

That some importers had parrots drink only coffee while they were shipped by boat,

Believing that pure water was detrimental and that their actions would increase survival rates during shipping.

Nowadays,

It is commonly accepted that caffeine in coffee is toxic to birds.

Pet parrots may be kept in a cage or aviary,

Though generally,

Tame parrots should be allowed out regularly on a stand or gym,

Depending on locality.

Parrots may be either wild cod or be captive-bred,

Though in most areas without native parrots,

Pet parrots are captive-bred.

Parrot species that are commonly kept as pets include conures,

Macaws,

Amazon parrots,

Cockatoos,

Greys,

Lovebirds,

Cockatiels,

Budgerigars,

Kegs,

Parakeets,

Endoclectus,

Pionus,

And polycephalus species.

Temperaments and personalities vary even within a species,

Just as with dog breeds.

Gray parrots are thought to be excellent talkers,

But not all gray parrots want to talk,

Though they have the capability to do so.

Noise level,

Talking ability,

Cuddliness with people,

And care needs can sometimes depend on how the bird is cared for and the attention he or she regularly receives.

Parrots invariably require an enormous amount of attention,

Care,

And intellectual stimulation to thrive,

Akin to that required by a three-year-old child,

Which many people find themselves unable to provide in the long term.

Parrots that are bred for pets may be hand-fed or otherwise accustomed to interaction with people from a young age,

To help ensure they become tame and trusting.

However,

Even when hand-fed,

Parrots revert to biting and aggression during hormonal surges and if mishandled or neglected.

Parrots are not low-maintenance pets.

They require feeding,

Grooming,

Veterinary care,

Training,

And environmental enrichment through the provision of toys,

Exercise,

And social interaction with other parrots or humans for good health.

Some large parrot species,

Including large cockatoos,

Amazons,

And macaws,

Have very long lifespans,

With 80 years being reported,

And record ages of over 100.

Small parrots,

Such as lovebirds,

Hanging parrots,

And budgies,

Have shorter lifespans,

Up to 15 to 20 years.

Some parrot species can be quite loud,

And many of the larger parrots can be destructive and require a very large cage and a regular supply of new toys,

Branches,

Or other items to chew up.

Intelligence of parrots means they are quick to learn tricks and other behaviors,

Both good and bad,

That get them what they want,

Such as attention or treats.

The popularity,

Longevity,

And intelligence of many of the larger kinds of pet parrots and their wild trades,

Such as screaming,

Has led to many birds needing to be rehomed during the course of their long lifespans.