Species and Types of Parrots

With bright reds, greens and yellows, parrots are an eye-catching element of nature. They're native to the tropical zones, mostly in Central and South America, but other species can be found in Australia. Parrots live mostly off fruit, seeds and vegetables and live high in trees. Parrots are social creatures. They flock together; most mate for life. More than 350 parrot species exist, but four of the most common parrot families are: amazon, conure, macaw and parakeet.

  1. Amazons (Blue-Front, Yellow-Headed, Lilac-Crowned, Red-Lored, Spectacled and Yellow-Naped)

    • Bright shades of green plumage characterize these parrots. Coloring around the face differs by type but is generally as bright as its body plumage and may be red, yellow or blue. They generally grow to 15 inches tall. Amazons are natural mimics and can learn human sounds. Amazons, native to South America, live for up to 60 years old.

    Conures (Blue-Crown, Dusky, Half-Moon, Jenday, Sun, Gold-Cap, Nanday, Green-Checked, Peach-Front and Orange-Front)

    • Conures are smaller parrots, growing as tall as 12 inches. They range in color, from yellow to green to bright turquoise. Their long tails distinguish them -- in fact, the word "conure" is derived from their cone-like tail. Conures, native to Central and South America, live 15 to 20 years.

    Macaw (Blue-and-Gold, Catalina, Green-Winged, Harlequin, Hyacinth, Military and Scarlet)

    • The most widely known type of parrot is the macaw. Its bright plumage, which can be green, yellow, blue, red or a mix of all four, helps it blend into its natural habit, the rain forest. Macaws use loud screeches to communicate from the canopies and can learn to mimic human voices. The macaw, native to Central and South America, can grow to 40 inches tall and typically has a drooping tail that aids in flight. Each macaw has a huge wingspan: The hyacinth macaw has the widest, at four feet.

    Parakeets (Ringneck, Bourke's, Derbyan, Lineolated, Mustached and Plum-Headed)

    • Australian aborigines called parakeets "budgerigar." The word meant "good bird" -- and "good food." The parakeet, native to Australia, is a smaller parrot, growing up to 11 inches tall. They have a tapered tail, unlike the macaw and the amazon parrots, which have larger, squarer tails. Parakeets are the most popular parrot for pets due to their small size.