PARROT

Parrots are birds of the roughly 350 species in the order Psittaciformes, found in most warm and tropical regions.

Parrots have feature in human writings, story, art, humor, religion and music for thousands of years.

Currently parrots feature in many media, such as :

• Recent books about parrots in human culture include Parrot Culture.
• Recent fictional books featuring parrots include Next.
• There are magazines devoted to parrots as pets, and to the conservation of parrots(PsittaScene ).
• Fictional films include Paulie.
• Documentaries films include The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill.

In ancient times and currently parrot feathers have been used in ceremonies. The "idea" of the parrot has been used to represent the human condition in medieval literature.

Parrots have historically been kept captive in many cultures, such as in Europeans kept birds matching the description of the Rose-ringed Parakeet ( or called the ring-necked parrot ), such as in this 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 proven hard to care for.

Parrots have influenced our language. The verb "parroting" can be found in the dictionary, and means "to repeat by rote."

A parrot is found on the flag of Dominica.

The Moche people of ancient Peru worshipped birds and often depicted parrots in their art.

Parrots are usually grouped into two families :

• The Psittacidae ( true parrots ) : Most parrots are predominantly green, with other bright colors, and some species are multi-colored.
• The Cacatuidae ( cockatoos ) : Cockatoo species range from mostly white to mostly black, and have a mobile crest of feathers on the top of their heads.

Characteristic features of parrots include :

• A strong curved bill
• An upright stance
• Strong legs
• Clawed zygodactyl feet

Parrots, popular as pets due to their sociable nature, high intelligent, bright colours and ability to imitate human voices. Captive parrots can be kept in a cage or aviary. Some are wing-clipped. Depending on locality parrots may be either wild caught or be captive bred. They require feeding, grooming, veterinary care, and environmental enrichment through the provision of toys.

Parrots types that are commonly kept as pets include :

• Conures
• Macaws
• Amazons
• Cockatoos
• African greys
• Lovebirds
• Cockatiels
• Budgerigars
• Eclectus
• Caiques
• Parakeets

Some parrot species, including large cockatoos, Amazon, and macaws, have very long life-spans with 80 years being reported and record ages of over one hundred. Other parrots, such as love birds and hanging parrots have short life spans.

Humans and parrots have a complicated relationship. Economically they can be beneficial to communities as sources of income from the pet trade and are highly marketable tourism draws and symbols. Some parrot species are agricultural pets, eating fruits, grains, and other crops, but parrots can also benefit economies through birdwatching based ecotourism.

Posted in: parrot,veterinary