Parrots belong to the biological order Psittaciformes, which contains 393 species in 92 genera. Parrots are classified into three main families:
Psittacidae – True Parrots
The Psittacidae family contains 353 species in 84 genera. This is the largest family of parrots and includes popular pet species like budgerigars, cockatiels, lovebirds, amazons, macaws, conures, parakeets, parrotlets, eclectus, caiques, lories, lorikeets, and many others. Some key features of Psittacidae parrots are:
- Stocky build with a large curved beak for cracking nuts and seeds
- Feet with two toes facing forward and two facing backwards for gripping branches
- Brightly colored plumage
- Ability to mimic human speech in some species
The Psittacidae parrots are divided into several tribes and subtribes:
Tribe Arini – Macaws and conures
Contains large, long-tailed parrots like macaws and smaller conures. There are around 30 species including scarlet macaws, blue and gold macaws, green-winged macaws, hyacinth macaws, sun conures, jenday conures, nanday conures, and others.
Tribe Psittacini – Amazons, parakeets, and parrotlets
A diverse tribe containing popular parrot species like amazon parrots, monk parakeets, budgerigars, grass parakeets, parrotlets, and many others. There are around 160 species.
Tribe Arini – Cockatoos, corellas, and gang-gang cockatoos
Distinctive parrots with crests and strong curved beaks. Contains cockatoos like the umbrella cockatoo, Moluccan cockatoo, galah, Major Mitchell’s cockatoo, and corellas. Around 20 species.
Tribe Platycercini – Rosellas, lorikeets, and relatives
Small to medium-sized parrots found in Australia, Indonesia, and nearby islands. Includes rosellas, mealy parrots, and lorikeets. About 55 species.
Tribe Cyclopsittacini – Fig parrots and owl parrots
Two unusual species, the double-eyed fig parrot and owl parrot found in New Guinea.
Tribe Psittaculini – Ring-necked parakeets and relatives
Old World parrots like ring-necked parakeets, Alexandrine parakeets, and rose-ringed parakeets. About 27 species.
Tribe Loriini – Lories, lorikeets, and relatives
Nectar-feeding parrots found from Indonesia to the Pacific islands. Includes lories, lorikeets, and the vasa parrot. Around 71 species.
Cacatuidae – Cockatoos
The family Cacatuidae contains 21 species of distinctive parrots in 6 genera. They have a movable headcrest, strong curved bill for cracking seeds, muscular tongue for extracting seeds, and a powder down covering over their feathers. Some key features are:
- All species are found in Australasia from Indonesia to the Pacific
- Loud, raucous calls
- Ability to mimic speech
- Long lifespans of 40-60 years or more
Some major cockatoo species are sulphur-crested cockatoos, umbrella cockatoos, palm cockatoos, salmon-crested cockatoos, red-tailed black cockatoos, and the critically endangered Philippine cockatoo.
Strigopidae – Kakapos
The Strigopidae family contains just a single living species, the kakapo of New Zealand. It is a large, flightless, nocturnal parrot. Distinctive features include:
- Owl-like face
- Green plumage for camouflage
- Strong legs and feet for climbing
- Herbivorous diet
- Breeds only every 2-4 years during mast fruiting of rimu trees
- Critically endangered with only around 200 individuals left
The kakapo is considered a specialist relic species that was more widespread in the past. It is the world’s heaviest parrot and only flightless parrot species.
Fossil Parrot Families
In addition to the 3 living families of parrots, there are several extinct families known from fossils:
- Psittacopesidae – Extinct parrots related to modern Lorikeets
- Archaeopsittacidae – Ancient parrot-like birds
- Xenopsittacidae – Extinct ground parrots of Australia
- Psittaciformes gen. et sp. indet. – Extinct parrots not classified into families
Analysis of fossils helps reveal the ancient origins and evolutionary history of parrots. The oldest parrot fossil dates back around 50 million years to the Eocene.
Parrot Classification Summary Table
Here is a summary of the classification of parrots into orders, families, and tribes:
Order | Family | Tribes |
---|---|---|
Psittaciformes | Psittacidae (True Parrots) | Arini, Psittacini, Platycercini, Cyclopsittacini, Psittaculini, Loriini |
Cacatuidae (Cockatoos) | – | |
Strigopidae (Kakapo) | – | |
Psittacopesidae † | – | |
Archaeopsittacidae † | – | |
Xenopsittacidae † | – | |
Psittaciformes gen. et sp. indet. † | – |
† indicates extinct fossil families
Conclusion
In summary, parrots are a highly diverse order of birds classified into the order Psittaciformes. The majority belong to the large Psittacidae family of true parrots, divided into multiple tribes. Cockatoos form their own distinct family Cacatuidae. Kakapos are the sole living member of Strigopidae. Analysis of the fossil record also reveals several now extinct families of parrots. So in terms of their overall classification, parrots belong to the high level order Psittaciformes, with most species classified in the family Psittacidae.