04/26/2015
Interesting facts about parrots
Physical Peculiarities: Parrots are able to see ultraviolet light, which is invisible to humans. They are the only bird species that can use its "foot" to bring food to its mouth. Most parrots sleep rest on one foot.
The most famous parrot is the African Grey called Alex. Dr. Irene Pepperberg purchased him from a pet store hoping to disprove that Parrots were just mimics. Alex has shown amazing cognitive abilities, being able to name more than 100 objects, actions and colors. Alex was able to identify certain objects by their particular material.
The most talented talking bird: A budgie called Puck officially became known as the bird with the most words, being able to speak over 1,700 words.
The largest parrot in the world is the Hyacinth Macaw.
The heaviest parrot in the world is the Kakapo, also commonly referred to as Night Parrot or Owl Parrot.
The only truly nocturnal (active at night) parrot species is the Kakapo
Parrots often use their left foot in handling food and in grasping branches and other things (such as toys), while they use the right foot to support their body. It appears that this seems to be based on the same principle as the preferential hand that humans utilize.
Self-medicating: Some South American parrot species (Conures, Amazons and Macaws) have been observed to regularly eat clay from clay cliffs. Originally it was believed that they did so to obtain minerals their diet might not otherwise provide. However, research suggests that the clay helps to detoxify them. Sometimes the seeds they eat contained toxic elements or even to alleviate poisons the farmers put out to rid themselves of these birds that they have come to consider pests, as they feed on their crops.
Nesting Behavior: Parrots generally nest in tree cavities, cliffs, cacti, or human-built structures. However, the Quaker Parrots build their own nests and they LINK their nests together to form structures akin to "bird condominiums" with individual chambers and separate nest entrances for each pay. These nesting structures can be the size of a small automobile and weigh 200 lbs (91 kg) or more. The Patagonian Conures nests are burrows set deep into earth cliffs.
