What are your top five favourite parrot species ?

1. Anodorhynchus leari (Lear's macaw): beautiful species, smart and a delight to work with
2. Micropsitta bruijnii (Red breasted pygmy parrot) a beauty and I am very curious about the behaviour of the Micropsitta group as I have never seen one (like almost everybody in the world)
3. Cyclopsitta gulielmiyertii (Orange breasted fig-parrot): my favorite fig-parrot species, fun and beautiful animals
4. Nestor notabilis (Kea): very intelligent species and perfect animals to test if an aviary is well build :D
5. Callocephalon fimbriatum (Gang gang cockatoo): pretty and the ones I know were goofy individuals

Close calls but not in my top 5:
- Probosciger aterrimus (palm cockatoo) spectacular and smart
- Cacatua leadbeateri (major mitchell's cockatoo) such beauties
- Vini peruviana (blue lorikeet) pretty
- Strigops habroptilus (Kakapo) for the uniqueness of it's adaptations
- Prioniturus flavicans (yellowish breasted racquet tail) the racquet-tail makes it something special, unfortunately never have seen one in real life (none of the racquet-tail species)
- Loriculus galgulus (blue topped hanging parrot) Just fun animals
 
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Stefan Verhoeven said:
1. Anodorhynchus leari (Lear's macaw): beautiful species, smart and a delight to work with
2. Micropsitta bruijnii (Red breasted pygmy parrot) a beauty and I am very curious about the behaviour of the Micropsitta group as I have never seen one (like almost everybody in the world)
3. Cyclopsitta gulielmiyertii (Orange breasted fig-parrot): my favorite fig-parrot species, fun and beautiful animals
4. Nestor notabilis (Kea): very intelligent species and perfect animals to test if an aviary is well build :D
5. Callocephalon fimbriatum (Gang gang cockatoo): pretty and the ones I know were goofy individuals

Close calls but not in my top 5:
- Probosciger aterrimus (palm cockatoo) spectacular and smart
- Cacatua leadbeateri (major mitchell's cockatoo) such beauties
- Vini peruviana (blue lorikeet) pretty
- Strigops habroptilus (Kakapo) for the uniqueness of it's adaptations
- Prioniturus flavicans (yellowish breasted racquet tail) the racquet-tail makes it something special, unfortunately never have seen one in real life (none of the racquet-tail species)
- Loriculus galgulus (blue topped hanging parrot) Just fun animals
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Thank you for your reply @Stefan Verhoeven ! These are some interesting choices here.

First question, have you worked with the Lear's macaw as your comment seems to imply that you have ?

When you say the red breasted pygmy parrot and its behaviour interests you is this because of its diet of fungi and lichen ?

The orange breasted fig parrot is a gorgeous little species, really beautiful colouration of its plumage.

I really think that the Kea is a fascinating species and the ones I've seen in zoos seem to have such a lively and obvious intelligence.
 
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The Alwal, Loved this species since I was very young.
Dracula parrot, A very unique species with a beautiful blend of black and red plumage
Crimson shining parrot, Colors really pop out of its feathers.
Red-capped parakeet, A beautiful species with rainbow-like colors
And of course, the Gang-Gang cockatoo

Token Extinct species, Paradise parrot.

And as for one that didnt make the list but I would love to see,
Nicobar parakeet.
 
pipaluk said:
1 kakapo (because I've never seen one and never will)
2 Hyacinth Macaw
3 Red tailed Black cockatoo
4 Blue throated macaw
5 kea
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The Kapapo is fascinating (the strange ecological niche, the nocturnality, the size / behaviour / conservation status) a species I would dearly love to see too. I've actually only seen a couple of taxidermy specimens of the kakapo and like you I suppose I will never see one either which is quite sad.

The blue throated macaw is another beautiful species too, very endangered and though I've seen them in captivity I would most definitely like to see these in the wild in Bolivia.

Why the red tailed black cockatoo in particular ?
 
CheeseChameleon2007 said:
The Alwal, Loved this species since I was very young.
Dracula parrot, A very unique species with a beautiful blend of black and red plumage
Crimson shining parrot, Colors really pop out of its feathers.
Red-capped parakeet, A beautiful species with rainbow-like colors
And of course, the Gang-Gang cockatoo

Token Extinct species, Paradise parrot.

And as for one that didnt make the list but I would love to see,
Nicobar parakeet.
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Interesting choices @CheeseChameleon2007 , thanks for sharing !

I hadn't heard of the "dracula parrot" before until I looked it up just now and found that it is the Pesquet's parrot which I have seen in zoos before.

Interesting and suitable alternative name for the species as it does look a bit dracula like with that hooked beak and red and black plumage.
 
MizzB said:
  1. Kea (Nestor notabilis)
  2. Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao)
  3. Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhychus hyacinthinus)
  4. Gang-Gang Cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum)
  5. Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo (Lophochroa leadbeateri)
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Thanks for sharing @MizzB !

The Major Mitchell's cockatoo is a beautiful bird, I agree, really striking plumage and the ones I've seen in captivity are very engaging and particularly when they raise that awesome crest of theirs.
 
amur leopard said:
My favourite is by far the amazing colourful but also sadly endangered Swift Parrot.
Second, Pesquet's parrot, followed by Spix's macaw, then the Kakapo and finally the Palm cockatoo.
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Thanks for sharing @amur leopard !

The swift parrot is a very interesting choice and I agree that it is very sad how close to the brink the species is.

Have you ever seen this parrot in captivity ?
 
Onychorhynchus coronatus said:
Thanks for sharing @amur leopard !

The swift parrot is a very interesting choice and I agree that it is very sad how close to the brink the species is.

Have you ever seen this parrot in captivity ?
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Unfortunately not, even though I have been to several zoos which have housed them at some point (the species arrived to two of the zoos, Vienna and Edinburgh, after I visited them :().
 
amur leopard said:
Unfortunately not, even though I have been to several zoos which have housed them at some point (the species arrived to two of the zoos, Vienna and Edinburgh, after I visited them :().
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I believe that Paignton zoo or Newquay zoo has them doesn't it ?

Perhaps a future visit to either of those zoos will lead you to seeing one.
 
1. Pesquet's parrot
2. imperial amazon parrot
3. kaka
4. greater vasa parrot
5. palm cockatoo

I deliberately restricted the above list to species I've seen, otherwise kakapo would probably have been number one.
 
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