Parrot

Parrot, a name applicable to any bird of the group Psittaci, to which some systematists give ordinal rank, while others regard it as no more than a family. These birds are widely distributed, chiefly in tropical and .sub-tropical regions, and have the bill large and powerful,.much arched, and elongated at the tip, with the nostrils in the cere. The wings and tail are usually long; there are two toes in front and two behind. This group includes many widely-divergent forms - the Cockatoos, Macaws, Lories, Parrakeets, and the aberrant species from New Zealand, one of which, the Owl Parrot {[Sirincjops habroptilns), is flightless, and another, the Kaka (q.v.), has developed carnivorous habits. The plumage in the group is generally brilliant, green and red-predominating; but some are soberly clad. The African parrot (Psittacus erythacui), probably the commonest cage-bird of the group, and certainly the one longest known, is bluish-grey, with the exception of the red tail feathers, while the black of M'tcroglossns aterrimus is only lightened by some crimson on the cheeks. Parrots are remarkable for their power of imitating sounds, including human speech, but the Indian Myna (q.v.) is said to rival them in this accomplishment.