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Dog Kitten Birds
Our beauties
Parrots
They belong to the animal kingdom, the chordate tribe, the bird class, the aviator subclass and finally to the parrot series. This range includes about 326 species and 816 subspecies. All parrots are included in the family of parrots (Psittacidae). They occur in tropical forests but also in open spaces (savannas, bushes, etc.) on four continents: Central and South America, Africa, Asia and Australia. They have an enlarged terminal brain, which allows them to memorize human speech (a well-trained parrot can learn up to 200 words, the record is even 1700 words).
They are characterized by a strong curved and extremely mobile beak. They have a tactile development on it, where they react very sensitively to the temperature or shape of the surface, so they like to examine everything with their beaks. The first and fourth fingers are turned backwards, which allows them to easily attach to the branches. They can grab their food with their feet and serve it in their beaks. They feed on fruits, seeds, roots, insects and small animals.
We know of the species nestor kea (Nestor notabilis) that it eats the meat of dead game and is said to attack live monkeys as well. In the way of life, parrots are very similar to each other. However, we do not know much about it - for example, nests of many species have not been seen before. In captivity, they nest like woodpeckers (in cavities), like owls (in earth holes), on bare ground and some even in anthills. Many fly deftly, some flounder, only the cockatoo owl (Strigops habroptilus) does not fly. Life expectancy varies from 10 to 50 years.
In geological times with a warmer climate than today, there were many more parrots. This is also confirmed by the discovery of the oldest parrot bone fossil so far - it is the rest of the wing (age was determined to be 55 million years) in a quarry in Denmark, which is also the northernmost find in the world. The species was named Mopsitta tanta. Irish-Russian-Danish scientists have theorized that these birds evolved in the northern hemisphere (where it must have been warmer than they are today) and later spread to the south and the tropics.
Perhaps the most famous are parrots with their cognitive abilities and ability as such. These abilities were probably developed by parrots in Central Africa because of their cooperation in foraging. Experiments with parrots kept in captivity have shown that some words can be associated with their meaning, so it is not just a reproduction of a rehearsed sound. The most intelligent parrots reach the level of intellect of a five- to six-year-old child.
The history of parrot breeding as pets is more than 4,000 years old. Images of these birds can already be seen in Egyptian hieroglyphic texts. In ancient Greece, parrots behaved like domestic companions. This custom was taken from the Greeks by the ancient Romans. They kept them in ornate ivory and silver cages. The African Gray Parrot was also owned by King Henry VIII of England, and was often taken by Portuguese conquerors for their long expeditions.
Currently, the most widespread among breeders is the undemanding wolf parrot (Melopsittacus undulatus, popularly called the budgerigar), cockatiels, rosettes, but also exotic and demanding species (macaws, alexandras, aratingas or their own parrots). CITES applies to several species. It is an international convention for the protection of endangered species of animals and plants. For species covered by this Act, it is necessary to have a cites certificate and an appropriate breeding permit from the State Nature Protection of the Slovak Republic.
A well-known parrot is the African Gray Parrot or the Parrot (Psitaccus erithacus). Occurs in the Congolese rainforest, a darker form has been observed on the islands of Principe and Fernando Póo. In the Guinean rainforest west of the Cavalla River, there is a widespread form with a reddish-brown tail (Psittacus erithacus timneh).
It grows to a size of 35-40 cm. The feathers are gray except for the red tail. Various nuts, seeds, fruits and even the bark and leaves of some trees serve as food. These parrots are intelligent, they have the ability to repeat words whose meaning they even understand. In September last year, a parrot Alex died at the age of 31, able to distinguish and name 50 different objects, seven colors and count to six. He made a significant contribution to the research of parrots' communication skills, because he really learned the language, not just reproduction.
Another interesting species is the pink cockatoo (Eolophus rosseicapilla).
It is striking with its pink - gray color, the length of the body is up to 35 cm. They currently form huge flocks in Australia and are replacing native endemic species, thanks to the changes brought to Australia by European culture. By destroying the crop, they are causing huge damage to local farmers.
The blue-yellow macaw (Ara ararauna) lives in forests, in the crowns of tall trees and palm trees, near watercourses and rivers. It inhabits the territory of South America up to a height of 3500 m above sea level. It can reach up to 76-86 cm in length and weigh between 900 - 1,300 grams. It is one of the largest parrots in the world. They nest in tree cavities, except for nesting in small flocks. The most striking are their light blue wings and tail feathers in contrast to the light yellow abdominal part. The top of the head has a blue-yellow macaw covered with light green feathers. The beak is adapted for shelling nuts. Thanks to their striking coloration and ability to reproduce human speech, macaws have been bred since 1580. They are among the most frequently imported species of parrots, they are bred in almost every zoo, although they are very difficult to breed.
Some species are aggressive (the Mayer parrot also attacks its long-term partner) and unattractive (for example, the Senegalese parrot has a very difficult period of adolescence and is very nervous at the time), some like to destroy the equipment of their aviaries (eg a small macaw).
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