Psittaciformes: the basics every owner should know

Psittaciformes (scientific name: Psittaciformes; English: Parrot) is an order in the class Aves in animal taxonomy. This order is divided into four families, with approximately 101 genera and 410 species. According to statistics, about one-third of all species in the order Psittaciformes are endangered. The colloquial terms parrot and parrot can be used to refer to the Psittacidae alone, or to the entire order Psittaciformes, and generally refer to the latter. See below for a discussion of its classification. All species in this order have the following characteristics: hooked beaks, and toed feet (two toes forward, two toes backward). Birds of this order can be found in most warm-climate areas of the world, including India, Southeast Asia, and West Africa. There was also a species of Caroline parrot in the United States, but it is now extinct. The areas with the largest number of Psittaciformes are tropical and subtropical regions such as Oceania (Australia), South America, and Central America. South America's light blue-green macaw, Brazil's Pernambuco owl, and Melanesia's New Caledar parrot are now listed as "Possibly Extinct" parrots.