Parrots are found on all tropical and subtropical continents including Australia and the islands of the Pacific Ocean, South Asia, southeast Asia, southern regions of North America, South America and Africa.


Some Caribbean and Pacific islands are home to endemic species. By far the greatest number of parrot species come from Australasia and South America. The lories and lorikeets range from Sulawesi and the Philippines in the north to Australia and across the Pacific as far as French Polynesia, with the greatest diversity being found in and around New Guinea.

The subfamily Arinae encompasses all the Neotropical parrots, including the Amazons, macaws and conures, and range from northern Mexico and the Bahamas to Tierra del Fuego in the southern tip of South America.

The pygmy parrots, subfamily Micropsittinae, are a small genus restricted to New Guinea. The subfamily Nestorinae are three species of aberrant parrots from New Zealand. The broad-tailed parrots, subfamily Platycercinae, are restricted to Australia, New Zealand and Pacific islands as far as Fiji. The final true parrot subfamily, Psittacinae, includes a range of species from Australia and New Guinea to the species found in South Asia and Africa.

The centre of cockatoo biodiversity is Australia and New Guinea, although some species reach the Solomon Islands (and one species formerly occurred in New Caledonia), Indonesia and the Philippines.

Several parrot species enter the cool, temperate regions of South America and New Zealand. One species, the Carolina Parakeet existed in temperate North America, but was hunted to extinction in the early 20th century. Numerous species have been introduced in areas with temperate climates, and have established stable populations in several states of the USA, the United Kingdom and Spain.

While a few parrot species are wholly sedentary or fully migratory, the majority fall somewhere between the two, making poorly understood regional movements, some species adopting an entirely nomadic lifestyle.

You walk by a bird shop, or visit the aviary at the zoo, and there may be several types of parrots. You study them, and begin to wonder, “What types of parrots are there anyway? How many types of parrots are there?”

Actually, there are more than 350 parrot types when you consider every species and sub-species in the group. Many of the most common parrot types are from Australasia and the tropics.

Parrot Families

All parrots, of whatever parrot types or breeds they are, belong to the scientific order Psittaciformes. That scientific order is further broken down into two different parrot families: Cacatuidae and Psittacidae.

The Cacatuidae family includes only the Cockatoo, a bird that is native to Australia and islands near that continent.

The second parrot family, the Psittacidae, includes all of the true parrot types.

Cockatoos

To most people, the cockatoo is a large white parrot with a feathered head crest that it can lift high in regal splendor. That is, however, only one of the parrot types in this family. There are 21 different cockatoos, and not every one is white.

1. The palm cockatoo is mostly dark gray, with red cheek patches below the eyes – cheek patches that change to a deeper red when the bird becomes excited or alarmed.

2. The male gang-gang cockatoo is dark gray with a cherry red head and red crest. This parrot type is often called the red-headed cockatoo.

3. The Major Mitchell’s cockatoo is often called a pink cockatoo due to its soft pastel pink shade.

4. The cockatiel’s plumage is mid-grey on top, lighter grey underneath. It has an orange cheek patch, and a prominent white blaze on its wings. It has a much longer tail than the other cockatoos have.

So Cockatoos are not always a white parrot type, and not all cockatoos are the same in build.

True Parrots

This family includes all of the other commonly-known parrot types. The list that follows is not intended to be exhaustive, but in this family, you will find parrot types such as these:

1. African Greys: This is said to be the most intelligent of all the parrot types. A large gray parrot with a red tail, some of these bird have vocabularies approaching 1,000 words or more.

2. Amazons: This popular parrot type includes about 27 sub-types. Most are large, affectionate, and predominantly green.

3. Budgies: Officially known as a parakeet or budgerigar, this parrot type is small and colorful. It is one of the most popular parrot pets.

4. Conures: This parrot type seems to be a group of large parakeets. With long tails and strong beaks, these “clowns” come in a variety of colors.

5. Eclectus: Eclectus Parrots are unusual in their coloring. On the one hand, males are bright green, with beaks like bright candy corn, tails and wings of blue or red. Females, on the other hand, have red heads, blue breasts, and the same red or blue wings and tails. In place of the candy corn look, they have black beaks.

6. Lovebirds: Lovebirds are a small, stocky parrot type – among the smallest in the world. Many are green, sometimes with red faces or eye rings.

7. Macaws: Native to South America, this is the largest parrot type in wingspan and length. The blue and gold macaw is especially beautiful.

8. Parrotlets: These may look like parakeets at first glance, but this small parrot type has a broader body and tail than the parakeet.

9. Pionus: There are many parrot types under the name Pionus parrot, and this larger, quieter parrot comes in many varieties of color.

10. Quakers: This parrot type is often called a Monk Parrot or Grey-breasted Parakeet. It is a name that comes from facial feathering that resembles an old-fashioned Quaker costume.

There are many more parrot types than this article can list or discuss, even in a surface manner. You will find muc more information in your library or bookstore.

Best Parrot Types for Children’s Pets

A final question is this: “What types of parrots are there that would make good children’s pets?”

Many children are drawn to large parrots because of their colors or their reputation for talking well, but the large parrot types are not good pets for children. They require firm handling and training, and do well as pets only when the owner has had experience first with smaller parrots.

The best parrot type for a child’s pet is the Budgerigar, aka budgie or parakeet. The small Budgerigar requires the least amount of care, and is easily trained to talk and do tricks. Budgies that are young, or those that have no cage mate, will learn most readily.

Brightly colored plumage and the ability to mimic are the things that come to mind when we think of a Cockatoo. Cockatoos are great companion birds, no doubt about it. They develop a strong bond with their owner. It is heartening to know that they are loving and affectionate.

But, like any owner-to-be, you may wonder whether it is really true that these charming creatures can be destructive at times. If yes, in what way. Let's check that out together.


There is such an abundance of information regarding avian behavior. This probably leads to more confusion than clarity when we try to seek help from it. So, our approach to this subject is a little different.Now, ask yourself a question. What are some of the more common bird behavior that worries you and sometimes even annoys you?

Well, it can be as silly as undisciplined potty behavior or something more serious like feather plucking, screaming and biting (sometimes that may even get on your nerves).

A traditional approach to any of these problems is to look for a cause. Even the veterinary fraternity looks for and attributes the problem to a 'single cause'. Most times the cause and the problem will seem to have no apparent relation. Often, most problems have more than just one cause. And many times, the cause of the problem is not even the bird. Frequently the problem is 'us'. Yes, shocking though it may be!

What is a good cockatoo (by your definition)? Don't look at the cockatoo for an answer; it's the one with the least knowledge of your expectations.

Perhaps, you can answer this. What is it to be a good child? A child knows. It may not be able to express itself in crystal clear terms. But it knows. How? Because of the child's constant contact with other humans in its natural environment, it observes and learns to differentiate good behavior from bad. And what it can't learn from observation is taught.

But, what about the cockatoo? It has no such opportunity to learn from its flock. In captivity, you and your family are its flock. Cockatoos are extremely intelligent creatures. They observe and would learn a lot more than you are willing to grant it.

To be able to address just this one issue "why do they resort to feather plucking?", lets consider the basics. What is a cockatoo? Once you know the answer, you will see for yourself that it's not a dumb question. A cockatoo is more than what you've taken for granted.

A cockatoo is a gregarious creature. And certain aspects of its psyche are hard wired. The need to keep with the flock. The need to constantly communicate with its mate or members of its flock. The need to feed together. The need for companionship and affection. And the need to feel secure.

These are just some of its needs. Often these are needs that a captive bird may not be able to fulfill themselves. So, it looks up to its human family to provide these basic needs. If any of these is not fulfilled that's when the bird resorts to feather plucking, among other things. So, it's necessary to anticipate the basic needs of the bird and to see that they are met.

Cockatoos resort to feather plucking for a number of reasons. The problem could be that the bird is not happy with its environment, us, or our environment. But often the cause is put down to one of these:

1) Insecurity
2) Hormonal fluctuations
3) Stress/ anxiety
4) Disease
5) Internal/ external parasites
6) Insufficient/ incorrect nutrition

The cockatoo's feather plucking can be because of any or all of these reasons, or none of them and something totally extraneous.Now that we have identified the cause (or causes), let's now see what your role is.

Cockatoo is a social creature. So, let's give it the assurance that it's not in solitary confinement. At every opportunity, let the bird know that it is a part of a flock and make it feel at home. Call to it as often as possible. Pet it. Take it in your arms and set it down whenever you get the chance.

Give its feed whenever the family sits down for a meal.

Don't get into arguments in your bird's presence. It is important for the bird to know that it's part of a happy flock. Cockatoos are so intelligent that they know when all is not well. This knowledge leads to stress and anxiety.Do whatever is necessary to keep the bird in good health. Make sure it's free of internal and external parasites. Provide it with the best nutrition.

Apart from these, causes like hormonal fluctuations should be treated with advice from the vet. This in turn, will do all that it can to strengthen your relationship with your pet.

Let’s say you have a cockatoo. You bought him after months of careful planning and research, already weaned, and from a reputable source. You did everything you thought you needed to do to raise him properly. He’s a pretty good bird. A bit noisy, a bit needy, but not too bad considering all the horror stories you’ve heard. But when he does act up, you get worried.

You’re afraid you’re going to end up one of those people you swore you would never be: Someone with a difficult cockatoo. Should you really worry? Should you start looking for a new home for your cockatoo because he’s going to become a monster?

Cockatoos tend to be more intense than some other parrots, and people who can’t handle that aren’t likely to keep a cockatoo for long. There are lots of perfectly normal cockatoos out there just doing cockatoo things, and it’s the people who have the problem. These families give up because they had no chance to begin with. For other families, everything is fine for quite some time, years maybe, but one day it seems like the dam breaks and all the naughtiness the bird had pent up inside comes pouring out. The owners figure there’s no hope. They’ve been told it may happen, and it did. But it’s possible what really happened is that the cockatoo is the victim of a self-fulfilling prophecy. When you fear the worst, that’s often what you see.

Since good information about parrots is relatively accessible these days, most of us realize that cockatoos are one of the more difficult parrots to have. These birds can be extremely demanding, requiring a commitment to proper socialization and training that goes far beyond the baby parrot stage. But are cockatoos doomed to be naughtier than other birds? I don’t think so. Cockatoos are very smart, and their “smartness” may be what gets them labeled as bad, when what they really are is just trying to adapt to a world that’s confusing to them. The bird does what he thinks he needs to do--bites, screams, pluck his feathers, chases everyone’s feet--and we decide he’s bad. His behavior may be bad, but is he actually bad? Probably not. Out-of-control, maybe. But the situation certainly isn’t hopeless.

It’s easy to have an out-of-control cockatoo. Here’s how: Hold and cuddle the bird as much as possible when he’s young, preferably hand feeding and weaning him yourself even though you don’t know what you’re doing, allow your cockatoo to come and go from his cage whenever he wants, let him play on the floor and climb onto whatever furniture he wants, keep him up until the wee hours of the night, and just to be on the safe side, yell at him or shut him away when he’s the least bit noisy. Do all or even just some of these things, and you’re well on your way to creating a monster.

Sarcasm aside, cockatoo monsters are mostly made, not born. If you have, in fact, raised your cockatoo correctly by doing pretty much the opposite of what I just described, then if and when you have trouble, you’re probably not really dealing with a monster. Your bird might be having a rough day, or a rough couple of weeks. What you think is a mountain is just a molehill. But you get tense about it, your bird reacts accordingly, and soon everyone’s pants are in a bunch. Most likely, with a little extra structure and training, this temporary bump in the road will smooth out and everyone will feel a lot better. Pants will no longer be bunched.

Your relationship with your cockatoo is just like any other relationship. There are ups and downs, but you don’t have to toss it just because it gets difficult once in a while. You’ve done all the right things—struck a balance between providing attention and encouraging independence, set rules and limits, structured the environment to include proper exercise and sleep, and focused on reinforcing good behavior rather than reacting to bad behavior—so cut yourself, and your cockatoo, some slack. Don’t fear the worst because it probably isn’t.