Chambers Wildlife Rainforest Lodges
Tropical North Queensland, Australia.
[ Site Map ] [
Rainforest Search Engine ]
Back ] Home ] Up ] Next ]


Return To Bird Index
Parrots and Cockatoos

Australian
King Parrot
Alisterus scapularis
Crimson Rosella
Platycercus elegans
Double-eyed
Fig Parrot
Psittaculirostris diophthalma
Galah
Cacatua roseicapilla

Little Corella
Cacatua sanguinea

Pale-headed Rosella
Platycercus adscitus

Rainbow Lorikeet
Trichoglossus haematodus

Red-Tailed
Black Cockatoo

Calyptorhychus banksii

Scaly Breasted Lorikeet
Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus

Sulfur-crested Cockatoo
Cacatua galerita

 

 

`Parrots' and `Cockatoos' Order Psittaciformes

Parrots are mainly found in the southern continents and the equatorial regions of the world. This distribution reflects their likely origins on the ancient continent of Gondwana (Simpson et al 1996). The Parrot order is thus an ancient lineage, and appears not to be closely related to any other groups of birds (Simpson et al 1996); however, it is thought that they have a distant relationship to the pigeons and doves.

There are many different kinds of parrots, yet they comprise a distinctive group of birds that most anybody would recognize. They are popular due to their colorful plumage and interesting behaviors. One parrot, the `Budgerigar', is probably the most popular pet bird in the western world. The parrot group also includes the `Cockatoos', `Lorikeets', `Rosellas', `Parakeets', `Macaws', `Lovebirds' and others. They range in size from the tiny 8cm `pygmy parrots' of New Guinea and surrounding islands, to the giant Macaws of South and Central America that can be a meter in length (Stiles and Skutch 1994). As many parrots live in the rain forest canopy, their colors are often based on greens. However, parrots have evolved plumages of every color. They have adapted to live in rain forest, savannas and mountains, to feed on seeds, fruits, roots, nectar, fungi and wood boring insects. There are even nocturnal species.

Even though there are many different kinds of parrots, they all have a very distinct suite of characteristics that unite them in one order. The skin around the eye of a bird is called the `cere', and in parrots this patch is often obvious and enlarged (Simpson et al 1996). The same authors also note that parrots have `interesting' intestinal looping and lack an appendix. Parrots have a rather broad skull with a large braincase (Forshaw 1998), with parrot owners and other bird observers pointing out that parrots seem relatively intelligent.

To most people, though, the first most obvious feature of a parrot is the bill. This is usually well developed, with a large hooked, downcurved upper mandible, over a smaller upcurved lower mandible. The upper mandible is attached to the skull via a flexible joint (Slater 1997). It is wise to keep your fingers in your pockets when near parrots, for this bill has evolved to extract and crack seeds.

Authors Stiles and Skutch (1994, page 176) colorfully describe the bill of the typical parrot as combining "the destructive powers of an ice pick (the sharp-pointed upper mandible), a chisel (the sharp-edged lower mandible), a file (ridged inner surface of the upper mandible) and a vise". This effective grip is also utilized to assist in climbing. Inside the thick bill, there is a tongue that is usually large and muscular (Forshaw 1998).

One of the main features that zoologists used to distinguish the parrot order from other birds is the arrangement of the feet. They have two toes pointing forward, and two backwards. This arrangement allows for great dexterity, with the feet being used like hands. Unlike most other birds, parrots often use their feet to feed. Combined with the beak, this also allows for nimble climbing.

Life Cycle of the Parrot

There are also some behavioral and life cycle features of the parrots that are distinctive. Most species are monogamous, and many appear to bond for life (Forshaw 1998). Most parrots do not build nests, but raise their young in the existing hollows of trees, or excavate holes in banks, cliff faces, or termite mounds (Forshaw 1998). They will often use that sharp beak to chew the wood inside a tree hollow to produce a soft surface to lay their eggs (Krebs 2001). The female usually lays her small number of eggs every other day (Egerton 1997). It appears only the female does the incubating (Slater 1997). The young are naked and fed by the parents by holding the nestlings beak inside their own (Simpson et al 1996) and regurgitating the food (Stiles and Skutch 1994). Parrots can be long lived, and in fact the oldest bird ever recorded was a 'Sulfur-crested Cockatoo' that died in the London Zoo in 1982 at the age of at least 80 years old (Slater 1997).

Parrots are generally quite sociable, not very territorial, and can occur in large flocks. This is thought to reflect their abundant food resources that can be eaten without competition and the idea that flocking can reduce predation (Lindsey 1998). Some Cockatoos may post `sentries' that alarm the rest of the flock of danger (Lindsey 1998). They are often nomadic, flying fast and wide to take advantage of varying resources. Most parrots have basic screeching calls that are not thought of as particularly melodious. However, they are kept as pets because they can be taught to imitate human words, even though there is little evidence of parrots imitating other birds in the wild (Forshaw 1998). This skill has developed due to the highly sociable nature of parrots. Many have different calls for different purposes, including soft contact calls, warning calls, or calls made just previous to take off.

The ecology and conservation of parrots

Being such large and obvious birds, parrots naturally play various ecological roles. The Old World `Lorikeets' are nectivores, and thus pollinators of many plants. The fig parrots of Australia and New Guinea are likely to be important dispersers of rain forest fruits. However, due to the fact that the bigger parrots may rip open immature fruits to gain access and predate upon seeds, the dispersion of plants by these types of birds is likely to be limited (Stiles and Skutch 1994).

There are several threats to parrots worldwide. Clearing of forests has effected these birds, for they rely on old growth forests with their aging trees and accompanying hollows to breed (Egerton 1997). Parrots are popular pets and there is a large and thriving trade in smuggling the animals out of various countries, with many dying in transit (Forshaw 1998). There are also moral ambiguities about the keeping of such reportedly intelligent and wide flying birds in cages. However, the captive trade has supplied much information, especially on the reproductive biology of many parrot species (Stiles and Skutch 1994).

There are over 340 species of parrots (Perrins 199). The order is split into two different families; one family contains the large `Cockatoos' of the Australian region, the other family contains all of the rest of the parrots. There are more species on the continent of South America than anywhere else, but it is in Australia where the group attains their greatest ecological and morphological diversity.

Parrots in Australia

Australia was often referred to as `Parrot Land' by early colonists (Egerton 1997). Parrots in the Australian region are very diverse, and it is only here where all three major groups of parrots (the `lorikeets', the `cockatoos' and the `true parrots') are found. Parrots have evolved to fill many different niches in Australia. While in other parts of the world they are correctly thought of as rain forest inhabitants, in Australia they have expanded out of the wetter forests and into the savanna and the more and lands. In fact, they reach their highest diversity in the open woodlands (Simpson et al 1996). Whereas most parrots around the world are variations on the color green due to their rain forest habitat, in Australia the result of colonizing other habitats has been the evolution of a parrot of every color; including black, white, red, green, yellow, grey, or pink. There are over fifty species on the Australian continent (Simpson et a11996), with over 40 of these being found nowhere else on Earth (Egerton 1997).

Parrots in Australia have a mixed conservation status. Some of the open country birds such as the cockatoos have done well, with many having actually expanded their range since European settlement due to the clearing of forest to more open country. Other parrots have not fared so well, as these cleared forests contained the older trees and their hollows necessary for their breeding (Krebs 2001).
Script: Courtesy of  Damon Ramsey BSc.(Zool) Biologist Guide

'Cockatoos' Family Cacatuidae

There are over 18 species of cockatoos (Slater 1997), and they are found mainly in Australia, New Guinea and a few other surrounding islands. DNA studies have revealed that the cockatoos are distinctly different from all the other parrots (Lindsey 1998), thus they are placed in their own family. Cockatoos are further distinguished by usually having an erectile crest on top of the head, and very heavy bills designed for cracking open hard fruits to feed on the seeds. And despite the amazing range of colors seen in the many species, their feathers lack the structure that helps produces the brighter colors seen in the other `true parrots' (Slater 1997).
Script: Courtesy of  Damon Ramsey BSc.(Zool) Biologist Guide

'Rosellas' Platycercus spp.

The Rosellas' include some of Australia's best-known parrot species. The common name for these birds comes from an area west of Sydney that was known as 'Rose Hill'; the parrots were thus called 'rose-hillers', which then over time become 'rosellas'. The taxonomy of rosellas is a little confusing, with some species interbreeding in overlapping ranges, and many are known by various names that may not represent actual species. They are found along the wetter areas of coast all around Australia, missing from the drier western and southern coasts and the vast interior.
Script: Courtesy of  Damon Ramsey BSc.(Zool) Biologist Guide

'Lorikeets' and Tories' Subfamily Loriinae

Lorikeets are medium to small parrots that feed primarily on the nectar of flowers. They have therefore evolved harder beaks than the other parrots, and brush-tipped tongues. They are noisy, and often travel, feed, and roost in large groups. In Australia they feed mainly on the flowers of Eucalyptus and they may travel far in search of their food. In the tropical woodlands, they are often seen at Eucalypt and Melaleuca trees.
Script: Courtesy of  Damon Ramsey BSc.(Zool) Biologist Guide

Parrots

‘Parrots’ belong to their own order, the Psittaciformes. They are mainly found in the southern continents and the equatorial regions of the world. There are many different kinds of parrots, yet they comprise a distinctive group of birds that most anybody would recognize because of a suite of characteristics. The skin around the eye is often obvious and enlarged, the bill is usually well developed, with a large hooked, downcurved upper mandible, over a smaller upcurved lower mandible. The arrangement of the feet is also unusual, with two toes pointing forward, and two backwards. Parrots also have some distinctive features of their behaviour and life cycle. Most species are monogamous, and many appear to bond for life (Forshaw 1998). Most do not build nests, but raise their young in the existing hollows of trees, or excavate holes in banks, cliff faces, or termite mounds  (Forshaw 1998). Parrots are not territorial, but quite sociable and can thus occur in large flocks. They are often nomadic, flying fast and wide to take advantage of varying resources. Most parrots have basic screeching calls that are not thought of as particularly melodious, but the highly sociable nature of parrots may have resulted in the development of different calls for different purposes, including soft contact calls, warning calls, or calls made just previous to take off.

There are more species in the neotropical rainforests than anywhere else, but it is in Australia where the group attains their greatest ecological and morphological diversity. Parrots in the Australian region are very diverse, and it is only here where all three major groups of parrots (the ‘lorikeets’, the ‘cockatoos’ and the ‘true parrots’) are found. Colourful representatives of these three types of parrots can be found in the rainforests of eastern Australia.
Script: Courtesy of  Damon Ramsey BSc.(Zool) Biologist Guide

Cockatoos

Cockatoos, of the family Cacatuidae, are found mainly in Australia, New Guinea and surrounding islands. They are distinguished by usually having an erectile crest on top of the head, and very heavy bills designed for cracking open hard fruits to feed on the seeds.
Script: Courtesy of  Damon Ramsey BSc.(Zool) Biologist Guide

Rosellas

The 'Rosellas', Platycercus spp., include some of Australia's best-known parrot species. The common name for these birds comes from an area west of Sydney that was known as 'Rose Hill'; the parrots were thus called 'rose-hillers', which then over time become 'rosellas'. The taxonomy of rosellas is a little confusing, with some species interbreeding in overlapping ranges, and many are known by various names that may not represent actual species. They are found along the wetter areas of coast all around Australia, missing from the drier western and southern coasts and the vast interior.
Script: Courtesy of  Damon Ramsey BSc.(Zool) Biologist Guide


Chambers Wildlife Rainforest Lodges
Lake Eacham, Atherton Tablelands
Tropical North Queensland, Australia.
PH & Fax: 07 4095 3754 International: 61 7 4095 3754

http://www.rainforest-australia.com/accommodation


Book Online Now

A great Australian rainforest experience

Click Here To Send An Email

[Accommodation ]
[One Bedroom Lodge] [Five Bedroom Lodge] [Guest Lounge
[Directions] [Bookings] [Weather] [Search Engines]
[
Birdwatching Opportunities at The Chambers] [Bushwalking Opportunities at The Chambers]
[Rainforest Environment Surrounding The Chambers] [Nocturnal Animals at The Chambers]
[
Atherton Tableland Natural Attractions You Can See During Your Stay at The Chambers]
[Travel Information for Australia]
[ Tour Group Photos ]

All content, layout and design in this website
are protected by copyright 1998-2017 John Chambers.