parrot, common name for members of the order Psittaciformes,
comprising 315 species of colorful birds, pantropical in
distribution, including the parakeet. Parrots have large heads
and short necks, strong feet with two toes in front and two in
back (facilitating climbing and grasping), and strong, thick
bills, with the larger hooked upper mandible hinged to the bones
of the head. They are arboreal, feeding on seeds and
fruits—except the kea ( Nestor notabilis ) of New Zealand, which
is a scavenger in winter. Although they belong to a different
order, parrots have certain affinities to pigeons and cuckoos;
like them, they feed their young by regurgitation, and they have
swellings (ceres) at the base of the nostrils. Usually their
voices are harsh, but the thick, fleshy tongue and special voice
apparatus permit a wide range of articulations, and some species
can be taught to imitate the human voice. The best mimics are
the African gray parrots, Psittacus erithacus, and the Amazons,
genus Amazona. In size parrot