 Parrot
species
Pet parrots
For hundreds of years, people have kept
tropical birds as pets.
Their brightly colored feathers make
them very beautiful and, because many pet birds can learn to talk, they
can be good companions.
There are
about 372 known species of parrots, approximately 86 genres, subdivides in
three families:
-
Psittacidae the
genuine parrots
-
Cacatuiade or
cockatoos
-
Strigopidae, a new
family from New Zealand
Healthy parrots can live to be 15 to 80 years old! They come
originally from hot tropical places such as South America, Australia and Africa.
The larger kinds of parrots are usually expensive to buy. If your
family does choose a parrot as a pet, make sure that it has been bred in this country. People who steal eggs
or baby parrots from the wild and smuggle them abroad to sell as pets are threatening the survival of some
kinds of parrots.
Here are a few types of
parrots that are kept as
pets:
Africans Gray parrots are the best talkers and can learn to say almost
1,000 words. They are soft gray with a bright red tail and black
bill
Amazon
parrots
are the second-best talkers and they are the most popular of the parrots
that originated in South America. They are a lovely yellow-green and are
friendly birds
Cockatiel
parrots
are about 30 centimetres (12 inches) long and have crests on their heads
and long tails.
They are
gentle birds and can be kept with other small birds such as finches. From
Australia, these birds have a whistling song. They can be taught to talk a
little.
Parakeets are smaller,
colorful members of the parrot family. Both male and female birds chatter and sing. They are happier when
two are kept together and like playing with toys such as ropes, bells and
ladders.
Budgerigar parrot (budgies) which first came from Australia, are the most common
parakeets kept as pets. They can be taught to say a few words.
The canary
is a type of finch that got its name from the Canary Islands, where it originated. Some kinds of canaries are
known for their singing and others are known for their beautiful feathers.
If you want a singer, buy a male, because females chirp but don't
sing.
Myna birds can learn to say
words and sentences so clearly that they sound like people. They're not afraid to talk in front of strangers, as some parrots are. Myna birds are shiny black
with yellow marks around the eyes and bright yellow
beaks.
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