What are your top five favourite parrot species ?

[gentle lemur]

Why has no-one mentioned a lory? I would have Duyvenbode's lory and the blue-crowned lory (which is the only Vini species that I have seen) at the top of my list.
I would also choose the Western slender-billed cockatoo, Lear's macaw and the kea. However I reserve the right to change my mind if I am lucky enough to see one of the fig parrots, a kaka or a solitary lory.
We had a similar thread in 2016, but that one asked for 10 species, which made the choice slightly easier. The other species I selected then were Derbyan and hooded parakeets, greater vasa and Pesquet's parrots, the St Vincent amazon and the hyacinthine macaw (which I have replaced by the Lear's after seeing the birds at Pairi Daiza last year).

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

5. Palm Cockatoo
4. Scarlet Macaw
3. Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo
2. Sun Conure
1. Rainbow Lorikeet

Honorable Mentions:

- Blue-And-Gold Macaw
- Plum-Headed Parakeet
- Galah
- Eclectus Parrot
- Hyacinth Macaw
- Eastern Rosella
- Yellow-Collared Lovebird

Thanks for the comment @EternalPigeon !

Interesting how often the palm cockatoo is coming up in peoples lists, I can see why as it is a very distinctive looking bird (they always look so prehistoric / primeval to me) but I wouldn't have thought that they would be so popular.

Focusing on birds not yet mentioned on other lists I think both the sun conure and the rainbow lorikeet are absolutely gorgeous birds.

- Major Mitchell's cockatoo
- Blue lorikeet
- Horned parakeet
- Plum-headed parakeet
- Palm cockatoo

Thanks for the comment @Batto!

The blue lorikeet, now that is a really interesting one, absolutely stunning species with that royal blue and cream coloured plumage, have you seen one of these in captivity ?

The horned parakeet is another incredible little species, I love those distinctive looking feathers, to me it makes them look sort of prehistoric or primeval too and very distinguished / noble.

The plumheaded parakeet is another striking looking one, not as keen on them as the two other species already mentioned but they are gorgeous looking parrots too.

Only 5? From sightings,
5. Brehm’s Tiger Parrot, a delightful bird table bird in central PNG.
4. Macaws, such a prominent feature of Amazonia; I am choosing a mated pair, wild in Peru, one Scarlet and one Blue & Yellow!
3. Palm Cockatoo; one perched right at the top of an emergent tree seen from a canoe in PNG.
2. Eastern Rosella; such a stunning garden bird in Eastern Australia
1. By no means the rarest, but Burrowing Parrots flying over their breeding cliffs in Southern Argentina are wonderful.
But no doubt; Kakapo are far and away top of the list of greatest parrots!

Thank you for your comment @Tetzoo Quizzer !

So, will focus on the birds on your list that haven't been mentioned so far on other lists.

Brehm’s Tiger Parrot, I have to admit I couldn't think of which species this was by just the name but when I looked it up on google I realized that I had seen a picture of it before somewhere. This is a striking looking species for sure and I love the "tiger stripe" barrs on the backs of the adult birds. It must be incredible to see these in the wild in PNG.

Eastern Rosella is a gorgeous species too, I've seen these in zoos and kept as pets, such vibrant plumage but in terms of temperament they often seen the opposite of those bright colours and really shy.

The Patagonian conure, yes, these are a parrot that I really love. Never seen them in the wild but definitely in zoos and they are gorgeous and have really strong characters (and voices / calls ) too.

 

[Tetzoo Quizzer]

Don’t forget the Palm Cockatoo has the rare distinction of being a tool using bird, using sticks as drumsticks to make territorial calls.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Limiting myself to species I've seen alive and in no particular order:

Budgerigar
Gorgeous little bird with a charming voice. A group them socializing is a joy to watch and hear. I prefer the wild type, but the "domestic" blue variant is also great.

Red-lored amazon
A very typical amazon parrot but the most beautiful in my opinion, with a gorgeous colour combination on the face and a completely green body.

Elegant parrot
A flock of this species is a gorgeous sight, and I'm unsure why zoos in Europe don't seem to like this species. The two shades of blue look perfect on the light green bird.

Golden parakeet
A bird I hardly believed could exists until I saw one at a parrot sanctuary. On pictures it looks unreal in but the colours fit perfectly on the bird in real life.

Red-shouldered macaw
A typical macaw but very small, this bird is both handsome and cute. Almost entirely green with a blue-ish crown and red shoulders, this species is not overly colourful but very elegant.

Thank you for the comment @Mr. Zootycoon !

So this is a list comprised of species not yet mentioned, interesting.

I get what you mean about the budgie. I do think it is often underrated because of how common it is in captivity but I also find them to be an engaging little species and I like watching them (in captivity) too.

Red lored amazon parrots are beauties, I absolutely agree, the plumage is wonderful. I've seen these in the wild in Mexico and Central America and they are such charismatic birds and breathtaking to watch in flocks flying.

Elegant parrot is an interesting choice, it doesn't have the most vibrant plumage compared to many other parrots but as the name suggests it does look very "elegant" and distinguished . I don't think that I've ever seen this species, have you seen these in the wild ? or in captivity ?

Golden parakeet, you beat me to it, lol, this is probably my favourite parrot of them all, will explain why in a future comment with my own list of top five parrots.

Red shouldered macaw, yes again I agree and in fact for me I do love the larger and more vibrantly coloured macaws but is the smaller and mid sized ones which perhaps interest me much more.

1. Spix Macaw- because I waited near enough fifty years to see this almost mythical species.

2. Kakapo. Amazing bird. Never expected to see one but I've even held one too!

3. Military/Buffon's Macaw. Like the more subtle colouration compared to the more brightly- coloured Macaws.

4. Major Mitchell Cockatoo. Favourite cockatoo- beautiful colours- seen in the wild too.

5. Hawk-headed Parrot- saw it described as a 'bizarre beauty' once, which it is. Haven't seen one in many years though.

Extra; Imperial Amazon- this is one I probably won't see now, due to rarity in captivity, there is one pair at ACPT in Germany I believe, and a single handraised one in Florida(?) which is the offspring of one of the ACPT birds from before they left Dominica. I may have seen the one at ZSL in the distant past but cannot remember it.

Thanks for the comment @Pertinax!

Have to ask, where did you see a kakapo ? In the wild or captivity?

You held one too ?! That is incredible ! , are we talking about a live kakapo or was it a taxidermy specimen ?

Focusing on the other species that you've mentioned that haven't yet appeared on other peoples lists.

The spix macaw is a very enigmatic species, I agree, also have a great significance for me too though I've never seen one yet (hope to one day though), where did you see one of these birds?

Millitary macaws are beautiful parrots, I've seen these in the wild in Mexico and they are truly spectacular to see in flight and I love the green and red plumage.

Hawkheaded parrots, these are interesting birds, I love that magnificent crest that they have though they tend to keep it tucked down most of the time and are really quite shy and retiring birds in captivity.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Don’t forget the Palm Cockatoo has the rare distinction of being a tool using bird, using sticks as drumsticks to make territorial calls.

Wow, I never knew about the palm cockatoo's drumming abilities, that is fascinating, I'll have to read up on that.

Admittedly, somehow in a very anthromorphic aesthetic sense I think this behaviour perfectly fits the bird with its rocker / punk / goth look.

 

[Batto]

have you seen one of these in captivity ?

Yes, at SDZ in the 1990s and Walsrode in 2010.

I have a soft spot for plum headed parrots also due to a funny personal incident. The internet started to rise when I was still a teenager at school. Back then, my mates and I explored the boundaries of early search engines like Lycos by, among others, entering exotic animal and plant names for results. Plum headed parakeet (or rather, Pflaumenkopfsittich) was one of the names that took a while to finally score any results. ^^

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Yes, at SDZ in the 1990s and Walsrode in 2010.

I have a soft spot for plum headed parrots also due to a funny personal incident. The internet started to rise when I was still a teenager at school. Back then, my mates and I explored the boundaries of early search engines like Lycos by, among others, entering exotic animal and plant names for results. Plum headed parakeet (or rather, Pflaumenkopfsittich) was one of the names that took a while to finally score any results. ^^

So it also has a bit of a connection / association with a time in your life, your adolescence. That is pretty cool and isn't it strange how some animals can have that quality of being emblematic of memories of a period of our lives?

Incidentally, for me there is also parrot which certainly has a similar association to my teenage years, the red fronted macaw.

At the time, my mid teenage years / early 2000's, I was living in Edinburgh, Scotland, for two months and I went to Edinburgh zoo a couple of times during this stay.

Each visit I saw a very friendly red fronted macaw in one of the aviaries there which at the time I assumed to be a hybrid "Catalina" macaw.

It was just a very beautiful and charismatic bird with a really loveable temperament and I was overjoyed to find out the other day via zoochat that this particular individual is still alive and well at the zoo.

 

[dinosauria]

5. Orange-Bellied parrot (adorable and endangered, I'm a fan)
4. Kakapo (Cute, round, flightless)
3. Conure (Big fan of the little puffy cheeks and bright colors)
2. Kea (They're jerks, but they're very endearing)
1. Cockatiel (Basically I've watched too many bird videos on Youtube)

Honorable mentions: Cherry-Headed parrot (The only parrots that live decently close to my area, I heard incessant screaming for five minutes and then they were gone), African Grey (Talkative, annoying, and prone to swearing. I can relate), Budgie (Just cute in general)

 

[Pertinax]

Have to ask, where did you see a kakapo ? In the wild or captivity?

You held one too ?! That is incredible ! , are we talking about a live kakapo or was it a taxidermy specimen ?


The spix macaw is a very enigmatic species, I agree, also have a great significance for me too though I've never seen one yet (hope to one day though), where did you see one of these birds?

I saw Kakapos twice, both times they had been temporarily captured as part of the conservation efforts and monitoring/transfer projects. Because they have a strong(for a bird) smell they can use a muzzled dog trained to scent out the hidden bird. The 2nd one( the one I held) was having its radio-transmitter replaced. You have to hold them a special way with quite a firm grip as like most parrots, they can bite strongly.

Spix- I was once told many years ago by the owner of a bird garden specialising in Parrots that I'd be unlikely to ever see Spix. Well, it was beginning to look that way until Paira Daiza in Belgium got theirs. Until they went on display there had been none on show to the public in a zoo/bird garden anywhere in the world, apart from one pair in Jurong Bird Park in Singapore. Previously Walsrode had exhibited a pair too, but some long time ago now. The ones at Loro Parc, Tenerife were never on public display from what I know. Jurong(and I think Loro Parc also) don't have them anymore apparently, as they have been returned to Brazil, leaving PD as the only place they can be seen publicly at present.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

I saw Kakapos twice, both times they had been temporarily captured as part of the conservation efforts and monitoring/transfer projects. Because they have a strong(for a bird) smell they can use a muzzled dog trained to scent out the hidden bird. The 2nd one( the one I held) was having its radio-transmitter replaced. You have to hold them a special way with quite a firm grip as like most parrots, they can bite strongly.

Spix- I was once told many years ago by the owner of a bird garden specialising in Parrots that I'd be unlikely to ever see Spix. Well, it was beginning to look that way until Paira Daiza in Belgium got theirs. Until they went on display there had been none on show to the public in a zoo/bird garden anywhere in the world, apart from one pair in Jurong Bird Park in Singapore. Previously Walsrode had exhibited a pair too, but some long time ago now. The ones at Loro Parc, Tenerife were never on public display from what I know. Jurong(and I think Loro Parc also) don't have them anymore apparently, as they have been returned to Brazil, leaving PD as the only place they can be seen publicly at present.

That is incredible to hear @Pertinax! It must have been such a priviledge to hold one of these birds and I must admit I'm a bit jealous.

So I take it that you had this experience while taking part in research on Kakapo Island, NZ ?

The Spix macaw is really a very significant / symbolic bird to me too and I would also dearly like to see one but it is very hard here in Brazil to manage to because the facilities where they are kept are not open to the public. Even if you are a biologist, as I am, you still need to get approval to see them and there is a lot of bureaucracy.

What did it feel like to finally see the Spix ?

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

5. Orange-Bellied parrot (adorable and endangered, I'm a fan)
4. Kakapo (Cute, round, flightless)
3. Conure (Big fan of the little puffy cheeks and bright colors)
2. Kea (They're jerks, but they're very endearing)
1. Cockatiel (Basically I've watched too many bird videos on Youtube)

Honorable mentions: Cherry-Headed parrot (The only parrots that live decently close to my area, I heard incessant screaming for five minutes and then they were gone), African Grey (Talkative, annoying, and prone to swearing. I can relate), Budgie (Just cute in general)

Thank you for your list @dinosauria !

So you mention that the Cherry headed parrot lives near your area, I take it that you are Ecuadorean or Peruvian ?

 

[dinosauria]

No. They're the feral ones around San Francisco.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

I didn't notice anything distinctive about the imperial amazon's temperament but I thought its plumage was particularly attractive. It is the bird's beautiful colouration, coupled with the fact that it is a species seldom seen in zoological collections, that makes it one of my favourite psittacines.

Oh I agree @Tim May, it is definitely a beautiful bird with that purple plumage and like all of the Caribbean Amazona also very endangered.

No. They're the feral ones around San Francisco.

Ah I see, I thought you were living somewhere in the Andean region.

Newquay does, Paignton doesn't I hope that perhaps when I visit Prague I might see one. Otherwise, back up to Edinburgh

Also kept at Drayton Manor, which has horned parakeets and vinaceous amazons too.

Oh right, well that is at least three collections that have them which makes things quite feasible in terms of seeing them.

 

[Mr. Zootycoon]

So this is a list comprised of species not yet mentioned, interesting.

I get what you mean about the budgie. I do think it is often underrated because of how common it is in captivity but I also find them to be an engaging little species and I like watching them (in captivity) too.

Red lored amazon parrots are beauties, I absolutely agree, the plumage is wonderful. I've seen these in the wild in Mexico and Central America and they are such charismatic birds and breathtaking to watch in flocks flying.

Elegant parrot is an interesting choice, it doesn't have the most vibrant plumage compared to many other parrots but as the name suggests it does look very "elegant" and distinguished . I don't think that I've ever seen this species, have you seen these in the wild ? or in captivity ?

Golden parakeet, you beat me to it, lol, this is probably my favourite parrot of them all, will explain why in a future comment with my own list of top five parrots.

Red shouldered macaw, yes again I agree and in fact for me I do love the larger and more vibrantly coloured macaws but is the smaller and mid sized ones which perhaps interest me much more.

Budgies are just great. I have two males that fly around the living room here. Their squeaking is just delightful, they are lively, curious and daily care is very reasonable for such a great bird. They were my dream pet when I was a teenager and now, almost ten years later, I've grown more fond them than I could ever imagine. This year they've proven to be great help to get through the pandemic!

I first saw elegant parrots when I was a kid. My grandfather's neighbour used to have a large aviary with a flock of them, and I was absolutely smitten. They're not an uncommon sight at bird shows here in the Netherlands, though the tiny show cages do not do them justice. I would love to see them in the wild but unfortunately I have hardly ever left Europe so I've never had the chance so far.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Indeed I worked (briefly) with Lear's macaws. Very sweet and intelligent birds and beautiful soft blue colors. Also the rarety of the species increased the experience.

The pygmy parrots have a special diet preference that is quiet unique, and could be interesting to watch. But as the Micropsitta genus is not well studied and have been almost none existing in captivity, I am also interested to know their general behaviour, how they move, their social interactions and their foraging.

Kea are amongst the smartest of the parrot species, but without a doubt are the most curious and investigative species of the order.

That is awesome @Stefan Verfhoeven! I think you are absolutely right that the rarity of these birds does add to their appeal greatly.

If you don't mind me asking where was it that you worked with the Lear's ?

Yes, there doesn't appear to be a lot known about the general ecology of the pygmy parrots which is a shame as despite being quite cryptic they are very charismatic little birds.

I wonder if the mystery of pygmy parrot Micropsitta diet was solved, and what about keeping them in human care?

These tiny parrots are quite commonly seen in New Guinea and surrounding islands, creeping on tall tree trunks and eating something. However, nobody knows what they eat - even stomachs of freshly shot birds contained unidentifiable pulp. Is it lichens, fungi, insects, plant sap, all together? I saw one feeding close and they seem to lick rather than bite - possibly tiny ants or insects running on tree trunk. Maybe a lab analysis of stomach content would shed light on this mystery.

Thats interesting @Jurek7 so as you mention having seen these birds feed I take it you have been to Papua New Guinea and seen them in the wild ?

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Why has no-one mentioned a lory? I would have Duyvenbode's lory and the blue-crowned lory (which is the only Vini species that I have seen) at the top of my list.
I would also choose the Western slender-billed cockatoo, Lear's macaw and the kea. However I reserve the right to change my mind if I am lucky enough to see one of the fig parrots, a kaka or a solitary lory.
We had a similar thread in 2016, but that one asked for 10 species, which made the choice slightly easier. The other species I selected then were Derbyan and hooded parakeets, greater vasa and Pesquet's parrots, the St Vincent amazon and the hyacinthine macaw (which I have replaced by the Lear's after seeing the birds at Pairi Daiza last year).

Thank you for your comment @gentle lemur !

I personally find the lorikeets to be absolutely beautiful parrots and I am really fond of their temperaments in captivity too as they are very charming little birds.

The brown lory is a striking bird, not as colourful as some of the lorikeets but still eye catching with those shocks of yellow plumage and the

The blue crowned lory is also a beautiful bird, I don't think I've actually ever seen one of these at a zoo yet so that is another one for my species list.

I also think that the St Vincent Amazon parrot is a gorgeous species and probably in my opinion amongst the most beautiful of the Amazona parrots.

 

[Onychorhynchus coronatus]

Budgies are just great. I have two males that fly around the living room here. Their squeaking is just delightful, they are lively, curious and daily care is very reasonable for such a great bird. They were my dream pet when I was a teenager and now, almost ten years later, I've grown more fond them than I could ever imagine. This year they've proven to be great help to get through the pandemic!

I first saw elegant parrots when I was a kid. My grandfather's neighbour used to have a large aviary with a flock of them, and I was absolutely smitten. They're not an uncommon sight at bird shows here in the Netherlands, though the tiny show cages do not do them justice. I would love to see them in the wild but unfortunately I have hardly ever left Europe so I've never had the chance so far.

They are great little birds aren't they ?

I've never kept any birds myself though I have family members who have and one in particular kept a budgie that I always enjoyed playing with.

Its great to hear that your budgies have helped you through the pandemic , they are certainly great companion animals.

I didn't know that they were commonly kept as pets in Europe, I may have seen some in zoo aviaries but if I did I just can't seem to remember having done so.

 

[Stefan Verhoeven]

That is awesome @Stefan Verfhoeven! I think you are absolutely right that the rarity of these birds does add to their appeal greatly.

If you don't mind me asking where was it that you worked with the Lear's ?

Yes, there doesn't appear to be a lot known about the general ecology of the pygmy parrots which is a shame as despite being quite cryptic they are very charismatic little birds.

The Lear's was over 10 years at Al Wabra. Very special place to hang around in that period. So sad it is mostly dismanteled now.

 

[Pertinax]

The Lear's was over 10 years at Al Wabra. Very special place to hang around in that period. So sad it is mostly dismanteled now.

Were these the ones that went to Paira Daiza, or some of them?

 

[Pertinax]

What did it feel like to finally see the Spix ?

I was rather overcome with the shock I think...plus I had expected to see them as soon as I walked into the park but they were invisible in their indoor area. Returned later on and still couldn't see them, but I could hear them inside where you can't go. Was beginning to get desperate by my third return to the aviary in the afternoon- thankfully they were out by then.