Parrot Facts
Parrot Facts
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| Interesting Parrot Facts: |
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| Parrots can reach 4 to 40 inches in length, depending on the species. Smallest species of parrot, buff-faced pygmy parrot, is only 3 inches long and weighs 0.4 ounces. Kakapo is the largest parrot. It can reach 9 pounds of weight. |
| All parrots are brightly colored. |
| All parrots have curved beaks and strong legs that end with four toes. Two toes are positioned forward and two backward. |
| Arrangement of toes and sharp claws facilitate life on the trees and ensure firm grip when parrots rest on the branches. |
| Parrots are the only birds that are able to pick food with their feet and bring it to the mouth. |
| Parrots are able to imitate human voice. Only domesticated parrots have this unusual habit. |
| Parrots are extremely intelligent animals. African grey parrot, named Alex, managed to learn to count to 6, answer the questions, recognize 7 colors and identify 35 different objects. |
| Parrots can be active during the day (diurnal animals) or night (nocturnal animals), depending on the species. |
| Parrots are omnivores (they eat other animals and plants). Their diet consists of seed, nuts, fruit, flowers and insects. |
| Parrots live in large groups called flocks that usually consist of 20 to 30 animals. |
| Parrots produce loud screeching noise and use body language for communication. |
| Main predators of parrots are snakes, birds of prey, monkeys and humans. |
| Parrots build nests in the tree holes, cavities in the cliffs, termite mounds or use ground tunnels. |
| Most species of parrots are monogamous (one pair creates a bond that lasts forever). Female lays 2 to 7 eggs that hatch after incubation period of 22 to 30 days. Both parents take care of the chicks. Baby parrots are blind at birth and covered with thin feathers. After couple of weeks their body is covered with feathers completely and they are able to see, but they stay with their parents for some more time. Young parrots reach sexual maturity at the age of one to four years, depending on the species. |
| Smaller species of parrots can survive up to 10 years in the captivity while larger species have lifespan of nearly 80 years. |
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