Cockatiels belong to the order Psittaciformes. Also included in this family are lories, lovebirds, macaws, parakeets, parrots, keas, cockatoos, lorikeets, parrotlets, budgerigars, rosellas, conures, and amazons.
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Depending on their size, they eat grass seeds, berries, fruits, or nuts. The larger forms will also dig roots and tubers and eat any insects that they uncover in the process. |
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These birds inhabit most of the tropical and south temperate regions of the world. Until the early 1900s, eastern North America had a native parrot, the Carolina parakeet, but this species was exterminated by humans through overhunting.
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Some parrots are solitary nesters, and other species are colonial; but all are monogamous. Behavior during courtship and for pair-bond maintenance includes mutual preening, mutual feeding, vocalizations, and bill caressing. |
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Ranging in size from 3 to 40 inches, these short-necked, plump-bodied birds are easily recognized by their large, hooked bills and zygodactylous feet (two toes pointing forward and two backward).
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The white, spherical eggs laid by psittaciformes hatch after 16 to 30 days of incubation, those of the larger species requiring the most time. |
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Parrots have been associated with humans throughout history. The first written reference to a parrot is credited to Ctesius, a Greek historian of the 5th century BC. |
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All information obtained from Encyclopedia Britannica (www.eb.com). |
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Parrots generally inhabit forested tropical areas, although some, such as the grass parakeets and the budgerigar live in grasslands with scattered trees.
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