Parrot Coloring Pages

Fun Facts about Parrots

• There are around 372 different parrot species. Most parrots live in tropical areas. Parrots have curved bills (beaks), strong legs and clawed feet. Parrots are often brightly colored. Now you know how come Blu can climb such a tall tower. He's got super strong legs with claws.
• With a couple of notable exceptions, males and females of most parrot species look virtually identical. It takes a keen eye—and usually a lab test—to tell a boy bird from a girl bird. But some species, like the Solomon Island eclectus, are so different that for many years people thought they were distinct species of birds.
• Kakapos are critically endangered flightless parrots, as of 2010 only around 130 are known to exist. They are active at night (nocturnal) and feed on a range of seeds, fruit, plants and pollen. Kakapos are also the world’s heaviest parrot.
• Parrots cover an incredible range of shapes and sizes. The tiny buff-faced pygmy (Micropsitta pusio) weighs a mere ounce and is about the size of an adult human’s finger. The world’s longest parrot is the brilliant hyacinth macaw, checking in at nearly 3.5 feet from tip to tail. But New Zealand’s flightless, nocturnal kakapo wins for weight: A fully grown male can register as much as nine pounds—the average weight of an adult housecat.
• One of the reasons that parrots make good pets is because they are believed to be one of the most intelligent bird species. Some species are known for imitating human voices. In the wild, they imitate the calls of other members of their flock, which allows them to communicate about important things such as food and the presence of danger. Indeed, unlike other birds which know their calls without being taught, parrots know by learning and learn by imitation. They also imitate the calls of other animals which serves as a defense against predators. For example, if a snake is approaching, they can imitate the call of a hawk, scaring the snake away.