Psittacidae – African & New World Parrots
The family Psittacidae is one of three families of true parrots, and consists of two subfamilies, the Old World or Afrotropical parrots of Psittacinae and the New World or Neotropical parrots of Arinae. Some of the most iconic birds in the world are represented here, such as the Blue-and-gold Macaw among the New World parrots and the African Grey Parrot among the Old World parrots. They are found in tropical and subtropical zones and inhabit Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean islands, sub-Saharan Africa and the island of Madagascar, and the Arabian Peninsula.
This family probably had its origin early in the Paleogene period after the western half of Gondwana had separated into the continents of Africa and South America, before the divergence of African and New World lineages c. 30 to 35 million years ago. It is estimated that the New World parrots (Arinae), and by implication Old World parrots, last shared a common ancestor with the Australian parrots (Cacatuidae) c. 59 million years ago. The data place most of the diversification of psittaciforms around 40 million years ago, after the separation of Australia from West Antarctica and South America. Divergence of Psittacidae from the ancestral parrots resulted from a common radiation event from what was then West Antarctica into South America then Africa via late Cretaceous land bridges that survived through the Paleogene.
According to the IOC there are 177 species in this family, which are:
Grey Parrot Psittacus erithacus
Timneh Parrot Psittacus timneh
Red-fronted Parrot Poicephalus gulielmi
Yellow-fronted Parrot Poicephalus flavifrons
Brown-necked Parrot Poicephalus fuscicollis
Cape Parrot Poicephalus robustus
Meyer’s Parrot Poicephalus meyeri
Rüppell’s Parrot Poicephalus rueppellii
Brown-headed Parrot Poicephalus cryptoxanthus
Niam-niam Parrot Poicephalus crassus
Senegal Parrot Poicephalus senegalus
Red-bellied Parrot Poicephalus rufiventris
Lilac-tailed Parrotlet Touit batavicus
Scarlet-shouldered Parrotlet Touit huetii
Red-fronted Parrotlet Touit costaricensis
Blue-fronted Parrotlet Touit dilectissimus
Sapphire-rumped Parrotlet Touit purpuratus
Brown-backed Parrotlet Touit melanonotus
Golden-tailed Parrotlet Touit surdus
Spot-winged Parrotlet Touit stictopterus
Grey-hooded Parakeet Psilopsiagon aymara
Mountain Parakeet Psilopsiagon aurifrons
Barred Parakeet Bolborhynchus lineola
Rufous-fronted Parakeet Bolborhynchus ferrugineifrons
Andean Parakeet Bolborhynchus orbygnesius
Tepui Parrotlet Nannopsittaca panychlora
Manu Parrotlet Nannopsittaca dachilleae
Monk Parakeet Myiopsitta monachus
Cliff Parakeet Myiopsitta luchsi
Tui Parakeet Brotogeris sanctithomae
Plain Parakeet Brotogeris tirica
White-winged Parakeet Brotogeris versicolurus
Yellow-chevroned Parakeet Brotogeris chiriri
Grey-cheeked Parakeet Brotogeris pyrrhoptera
Orange-chinned Parakeet Brotogeris jugularis
Cobalt-winged Parakeet Brotogeris cyanoptera
Golden-winged Parakeet Brotogeris chrysoptera
Pileated Parrot Pionopsitta pileata
Blue-bellied Parrot Triclaria malachitacea
Brown-hooded Parrot Pyrilia haematotis
Saffron-headed Parrot Pyrilia pyrilia
Rose-faced Parrot Pyrilia pulchra
Orange-cheeked Parrot Pyrilia barrabandi
Caica Parrot Pyrilia caica
Bald Parrot Pyrilia aurantiocephala
Vulturine Parrot Pyrilia vulturina
Rusty-faced Parrot Hapalopsittaca amazonina
Fuertes’s Parrot Hapalopsittaca fuertesi
Red-faced Parrot Hapalopsittaca pyrrhops
Black-winged Parrot Hapalopsittaca melanotis
Dusky Parrot Pionus fuscus
Red-billed Parrot Pionus sordidus
Scaly-headed Parrot Pionus maximiliani
Plum-crowned Parrot Pionus tumultuosus
White-capped Parrot Pionus seniloides
Blue-headed Parrot Pionus menstruus
White-crowned Parrot Pionus senilis
Bronze-winged Parrot Pionus chalcopterus
Short-tailed Parrot Graydidascalus brachyurus
Yellow-faced Parrot Alipiopsitta xanthops
Festive Amazon Amazona festiva
Vinaceous-breasted Amazon Amazona vinacea
Tucuman Amazon Amazona tucumana
Red-spectacled Amazon Amazona pretrei
Black-billed Amazon Amazona agilis
White-fronted Amazon Amazona albifrons
Yellow-billed Amazon Amazona collaria
Cuban Amazon Amazona leucocephala
Hispaniolan Amazon Amazona ventralis
Puerto Rican Amazon Amazona vittata
Lilac-crowned Amazon Amazona finschi
Red-lored Amazon Amazona autumnalis
Diademed Amazon Amazona diadema
Red-crowned Amazon Amazona viridigenalis
Yucatan Amazon Amazona xantholora
Blue-cheeked Amazon Amazona dufresniana
Red-browed Amazon Amazona rhodocorytha
Red-necked Amazon Amazona arausiaca
St. Lucia Amazon Amazona versicolor
Yellow-headed Amazon Amazona oratrix
Tres Marias Amazon Amazona tresmariae
Yellow-naped Amazon Amazona auropalliata
Yellow-crowned Amazon Amazona ochrocephala
Yellow-shouldered Amazon Amazona barbadensis
Turquoise-fronted Amazon Amazona aestiva
Scaly-naped Amazon Amazona mercenarius
Northern Mealy Amazon Amazona guatemalae
Southern Mealy Amazon Amazona farinosa
Kawall’s Amazon Amazona kawalli
Imperial Amazon Amazona imperialis
Red-tailed Amazon Amazona brasiliensis
Orange-winged Amazon Amazona amazonica
St. Vincent Amazon Amazona guildingii
Dusky-billed Parrotlet Forpus modestus
Mexican Parrotlet Forpus cyanopygius
Green-rumped Parrotlet Forpus passerinus
Turquoise-winged Parrotlet Forpus spengeli
Blue-winged Parrotlet Forpus xanthopterygius
Large-billed Parrotlet Forpus crassirostris
Spectacled Parrotlet Forpus conspicillatus
Pacific Parrotlet Forpus coelestis
Yellow-faced Parrotlet Forpus xanthops
Black-headed Parrot Pionites melanocephalus
White-bellied Parrot Pionites leucogaster
Red-fan Parrot Deroptyus accipitrinus
Ochre-marked Parakeet Pyrrhura cruentata
Blaze-winged Parakeet Pyrrhura devillei
Maroon-bellied Parakeet Pyrrhura frontalis
Pearly Parakeet Pyrrhura lepida
Crimson-bellied Parakeet Pyrrhura perlata
Green-cheeked Parakeet Pyrrhura molinae
Pfrimer’s Parakeet Pyrrhura pfrimeri
Grey-breasted Parakeet Pyrrhura griseipectus
White-eared Parakeet Pyrrhura leucotis
Painted Parakeet Pyrrhura picta
Venezuelan Parakeet Pyrrhura emma
Santarem Parakeet Pyrrhura amazonum
Bonaparte’s Parakeet Pyrrhura lucianii
Rose-fronted Parakeet Pyrrhura roseifrons
Santa Marta Parakeet Pyrrhura viridicata
Fiery-shouldered Parakeet Pyrrhura egregia
Maroon-tailed Parakeet Pyrrhura melanura
El Oro Parakeet Pyrrhura orcesi
White-breasted Parakeet Pyrrhura albipectus
Black-capped Parakeet Pyrrhura rupicola
Flame-winged Parakeet Pyrrhura calliptera
Blood-eared Parakeet Pyrrhura hoematotis
Rose-crowned Parakeet Pyrrhura rhodocephala
Sulphur-winged Parakeet Pyrrhura hoffmanni
Austral Parakeet Enicognathus ferrugineus
Slender-billed Parakeet Enicognathus leptorhynchus
Burrowing Parrot Cyanoliseus patagonus
Hyacinth Macaw Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus
Lear’s Macaw Anodorhynchus leari
Thick-billed Parrot Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha
Maroon-fronted Parrot Rhynchopsitta terrisi
Olive-throated Parakeet Eupsittula nana
Orange-fronted Parakeet Eupsittula canicularis
Peach-fronted Parakeet Eupsittula aurea
Brown-throated Parakeet Eupsittula pertinax
Caatinga Parakeet Eupsittula cactorum
Dusky-headed Parakeet Aratinga weddellii
Nanday Parakeet Aratinga nenday
Sun Parakeet Aratinga solstitialis
Sulphur-breasted Parakeet Aratinga maculata
Jandaya Parakeet Aratinga jandaya
Golden-capped Parakeet Aratinga auricapillus
Spix’s Macaw Cyanopsitta spixii
Red-bellied Macaw Orthopsittaca manilatus
Blue-headed Macaw Primolius couloni
Golden-collared Macaw Primolius auricollis
Blue-winged Macaw Primolius maracana
Blue-and-yellow Macaw Ara ararauna
Blue-throated Macaw Ara glaucogularis
Military Macaw Ara militaris
Great Green Macaw Ara ambiguus
Scarlet Macaw Ara macao
Red-and-green Macaw Ara chloropterus
Red-fronted Macaw Ara rubrogenys
Chestnut-fronted Macaw Ara severus
Golden-plumed Parakeet Leptosittaca branickii
Yellow-eared Parrot Ognorhynchus icterotis
Golden Parakeet Guaruba guarouba
Red-shouldered Macaw Diopsittaca nobilis
Blue-crowned Parakeet Thectocercus acuticaudatus
Green Parakeet Psittacara holochlorus
Socorro Parakeet Psittacara brevipes
Red-throated Parakeet Psittacara rubritorquis
Pacific Parakeet Psittacara strenuus
Scarlet-fronted Parakeet Psittacara wagleri
Mitred Parakeet Psittacara mitratus
Red-masked Parakeet Psittacara erythrogenys
Finsch’s Parakeet Psittacara finschi
White-eyed Parakeet Psittacara leucophthalmus
Cuban Parakeet Psittacara euops
Hispaniolan Parakeet Psittacara chloropterus
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Orange-winged Amazon Amazona amazonica
WebpageOrange-winged Amazons Amazona amazonica are one of the smaller Amazons from South America's Amazon basin. They are a gregarious parrot, moving from tree to tree in large flocks in search of ripe fruits and nuts… -
St Lucia Parrot (Jacquot) Amazona versicolor
WebpageAs its name suggests, the St. Lucia Parrot, or Jacquot, is found only on the island of St. Lucia in the West Indies where it lives in the central mountain rainforest. In the darkness of the forest, their feathers appear dull and the parrots blend into their leafy world. But when the sunlight shines on their feathers, they display a brilliant pallet of red, green and blue… -
St. Vincent Parrot Amazona guildingii
WebpageSeveral large parrots are endemic to the Lesser Antilles chain, but arguably none is so strikingly plumaged as the St. Vincent Amazon.
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Number of bird species: 177
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African Parrots
| By Rick Jordan & Jean Pattison | Hancock House Publishers | 2000 | Paperback | 160 pages, 8 plates with colour photos | ISBN: 9780888394446 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Amazon Parrots
| By Rosemary Low | Rosemary Low | 2005 | Hardback | 324 pages, 170 colour photos, distribution maps | ISBN: 9780953133741 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Naturalized Parrots of the World - Distribution, Ecology, and Impacts of the World's Most Colorful Colonizers
| Edited by Stephen Pruett-Jones | Princeton University Press | 2021 | Hardback | 304 Pages | 50 colour photos, colour illustrations and colour maps | £34.99p | ISBN: 9780691204413 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Parrots - A Guide to the Parrots of the World
| By Tony Juniper & Mike Parr Illustrated by Kim Franklin, Robin Restall, Dan Powell, David Johnston & Carl D`Silva | Christopher Helm | 2003 | Hardback | 584 pages, 88 colour plates, maps | ISBN: 9780713669336 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Parrots and Parrot Claylicks of Peru and South America
| By Alan TK Lee | Lambert Academic Publishing | 2013 | Paperback | 188 pages, b/w photos, b/w illustrations, tables | ISBN: 9783659351402 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Parrots of the World
| By Steve Brookes | New Holland Publishers | 2018 | Paperback | 176 pages, 120 colour photos | ISBN: 9781921517716 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Parrots of the World - An Identification Guide
| By Joseph Forshaw & Frank Knight | Princeton UP | 2006 | Hardback | 400 pages, 121 colour plates, 6 line illustrations | ISBN: 9780691092515 Buy this book from NHBS.com -
Spix's Macaw: The Race to Save the World's Rarest Bird
| By Tony Juniper | Fourth Estate | 2003 | Hardcover | 306 pages, Colour photos | ISBN: 9781841156514 Buy this book from NHBS.com
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Foundation for the Preservation of the Hyacinth Macaw
WebsiteWe are a nonprofit corporation dedicated to preserving the natural world, especially birds and most especially members of the parrot family. We have selected the Hyacinth Macaw as our Foster child for numerous reasons -
Loro Parque Foundation
WebsiteThe Parrot Connection - Putting Man in Harmony with Nature. A lushly illustrated site available in English, Spannish and German. -
Wilson Parrot Foundation
Facebook PageWelcome to the Wilson Parrot Foundation website. WPF is a nonprofit foundation, located in Damascus, Maryland, dedicated to educational and charitable activities -
World Parrot Trust
WebsiteThere is an on-going and dramatic decline of wild parrots worldwide. The parrot family has more globally threatened species than any other family of birds. The Red List contains 94 species of parrots that are currently considered vulnerable, endangered, or critically threatened with extinction, and many more sub-species are equally at risk of disappearing forever
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Blue Macaws - Anodorhynchus group of parrots
WebsiteThis is the unique website for the Anodorhynchus group of parrots with comprehensive information on and images of the Hyacinthine Macaw ( A.hyacinthinus); the Lear`s Macaw (A.leari) and Glaucous Macaw (A.glaucus) as well as the Spix`s Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii)