What species of psittacine birds (parrots) are there, and what do large parrots eat?
Parrots, also called yingge or yingwu, are the many brightly feathered, noisy birds of the order Psittaciformes. Their plumage is vivid, and they are often kept as pets. There are a great many kinds of parrots: 2 families, 82 genera, 358 species, making them one of the largest families in the class Aves. They are mainly distributed in tropical forests. So what varieties of parrots are there? Which parrots are large? What do they eat?
Parrots are extremely varied in kind and form, with brilliant plumage. They live mainly in lowland tropical forests, and often fly to orchards, farmland and open grassland. Fewer parrot species are found in mountainous areas, such as the Papuan lorikeet, Johnstone's lorikeet, and China's large Alexandrine parakeet. They generally form small groups of mates and family, roosting on branches in the forest, and nesting mainly in tree holes.
First category: over 100 cm
1. Hyacinth Macaw (107 cm)
The hyacinth macaw, over 1 m in body length, is the largest parrot in the world. It was once found in many South American countries; because of overhunting, its wild population now survives only in the Pantanal of Brazil, with an estimated 10,000-plus birds. It was once the most expensive pet on the pet market, each bird worth over 10,000 US dollars. The hyacinth macaw's feathers are pure blue, close to indigo. Their beak is black, and there is bare yellow skin at the rear of the lower beak and around the eyes. Unlike other species in the genus Ara, the hyacinth macaw has no white, featherless skin around the eyes.
Food: The hyacinth macaw's main food is the fruit of certain specific kinds of palm trees; because palm fruit is very hard, they will pick up and eat seeds undigested by cattle and sheep in pastureland, since such seeds become softer.
At the same time they also feed on fruit from specific local large fruit trees; whether ripe or unripe fruit, berries and vegetables all become tasty secondary food for them.
Second category: 90 cm——99 cm
2. Scarlet Macaw (90 cm)
The scarlet macaw, also known as the five-colored macaw, is native to tropical America and is one of the most beautifully colored and largest parrots. Its face is bare of feathers and covered with stripes, somewhat like the painted-face masks of Peking opera, and can turn red when it is excited. Its tail is extremely long, and it is a large climbing bird. Its diet consists of many fruits and flowers; it has a large appetite, and its powerful beak can crack open nuts and use its blunt tongue to extract the flesh. Its range includes southern Mexico to South America, making it the most widely distributed of the macaws.
Food: Its main foods are fruit, palm nuts and seeds.
3. Red-and-green (green-winged) Macaw (90 cm)
The green-winged macaw is also one of the more commonly seen macaws; in recent years its wild numbers have gradually declined. Hand-raised green-winged macaws are very affectionate toward their owners, and their large size is one of their hallmarks. Like other large macaws, the green-winged macaw's voice is very loud, but if it is a hand-raised bird kept from a young age, the tendency to screech randomly is much reduced. If you want to keep a pair of adult birds, it is ideal to do so in an area with good soundproofing or in an open area with no neighbors. Its friendly nature makes it one of the large macaws more suitable as a pet, but in Taiwan, China most environments are still not suitable for keeping it as a pet bird.
Food: Its diet consists of many fruits, flowers and seeds; it has a large appetite, and its powerful beak can crack open nuts and use its blunt tongue to extract the flesh.
Third category: 80 cm——89 cm
4. Military Macaw (85 cm)
Native to tropical America, its Chinese name is a translation of its English name “Military Macaw”. The English name originated because the first batch of this parrot imported into Europe was mostly transported by military personnel, so this parrot was named the military macaw. It is a large climbing bird. Its diet consists of many fruits and flowers; it has a large appetite, and its powerful beak can crack open nuts and use its blunt tongue to extract the flesh. Native to tropical America, it nests on cliff edges or in large trees. It fairly readily accepts training by people and can get along amicably with other kinds of parrots, but it will also bite other animals and strangers. Its lifespan can reach up to 65 years.
Food: Its diet consists of many fruits and flowers; it has a large appetite, and its powerful beak can crack open nuts and use its blunt tongue to extract the flesh.
5. Blue-and-yellow Macaw (85 cm)
The blue-and-yellow macaw is the most commonly seen macaw, with an extremely long tail, and is a large climbing bird. Its diet consists of many fruits and flowers; it has a large appetite, and its powerful beak can crack open nuts and use its blunt tongue to extract the flesh. It fairly readily accepts training by people and can get along amicably with other kinds of parrots. Its affectionate nature makes this parrot especially popular, and with its gentle temperament it can be seen in bird shops, zoos and other places everywhere.
Food: In the wild the blue-and-yellow macaw mainly eats fruit, nuts, the fruit of various palm trees, seeds, flowers, tender shoots, as well as parasitic plants, insects and so on. Every morning and evening they go to riverbanks to eat soil, because much of their food consists of unripe seeds or fruit that contain toxins; eating soil not only helps expel these toxins, but also supplements minerals and aids digestion.
Fourth category: 70 cm——79 cm
6. Palm Cockatoo (Coconut Cockatoo, Black Cockatoo) (70 cm)
Fifth category: 60 cm——69 cm
7. Burmese Large Alexandrine Parakeet (60 cm)
Sixth category: 50 cm——58 cm
8. Triton Cockatoo (Greater Sulphur-crested Cockatoo) (50 cm)
9. Moluccan Cockatoo (Salmon-crested Cockatoo, Ibis-crested) (52 cm)
10. Large Alexandrine Parakeet (50--55 cm, depending on subspecies)
11. Umbrella Cockatoo (50 cm)
12. Blue-eyed Cockatoo (50 cm)