The New Zealand (NZ) native parrots kākāpō, kākā and kea are classified as critically endangered, endangered and vulnerable respectively. Successful reproduction of kākāpō and kākā is linked to years of high levels of fruiting in native flora (mast years). To assess a possible hormonal link between native plants and reproductive success in these parrots in mast years, we examined the ligand-bin...

This note describes the detection of two contemporaneous mass feeding events a total ~1000 parrots. After report large numbers Turquoise Parrots Neophema pulchella being found on 8 May 2021, next day we encountered flocks totalling ~300 and ~700 Eastern Rosellas Platycercus eximius seeding grasses cattle property North-west Slopes New South Wales. The species, which congregated separately from ...

Parrots in captivity are frequently affected by Escherichia coli (E. coli) infections. The objective of this study was to collect information on the carrier state for E. coli pathotypes in asymptomatic free-ranging parrots. Cloacal swabs were collected from nestlings of Hyacinth, Lear's macaws and Blue-fronted Amazon parrots and tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for virulence factors co...

In recent years there has been an increased interest in studies related to the welfare of avian species commonly kept as companion animals, specifically those in the order Psittaciformes, commonly referred to as ‘parrots’. During this time the biology and behaviour of wild parrots has also become better understood, aiding the assessment of welfare in captive environments. The impact of the pet ...

Mutually enhancing organisms can become reciprocal determinants of their distribution, abundance, and demography and thus influence ecosystem structure and dynamics. In addition to the prevailing view of parrots (Psittaciformes) as plant antagonists, we assessed whether they can act as plant mutualists in the dry tropical forest of the Bolivian inter-Andean valleys, an ecosystem particularly po...

Healthy, adult Hispaniolan Amazon parrots (Amazona ventralis) were imaged on three occasions to determine the effects of anesthesia, patient rotation, feeding, and short/long-term temporal factors on the proventriculus:keel ratio. Increasing rotation up to 15 degrees from right lateral resulted in increased inability to measure the proventriculus in up to 44% of birds, meaning that the proventr...

In recent years an increasing number of deformed or malnourished hand-reared Grey Parrots are offered for sale in the UK. In many cases neither the breeder nor the purchaser is aware that there is anything wrong with the bird. That is not just sad but frightening – that inexperienced people are producing young parrots which might be crippled for life or have to be euthanised at an early age. Bi...

Carotenoid pigments are commonly used as colorants of feathers and bare parts by birds. However, parrots (Aves: Psittaciformes) use a novel class of plumage pigments (called psittacofulvins) that, like carotenoids, are lipid-soluble and red, orange, or yellow in color. To begin to understand how and why parrots use these pigments and not carotenoids in their feathers, we must first describe the...

Risk factors Suggested risk factors for atherosclerosis in birds include age, gender, species, increased plasma concentrations of lipids and lipoproteins, high energy diets, physical inactivity, genetics, and coinfection with Chlamydia psittaci. Age Increased age has been shown to be a significant risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis in parrots in retrospective studies. Gender Fem...

Some African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus), the most famous being Pepperberg's parrot Alex, are able to imitate human speech and produce labels referentially. In this study, the aim was to teach ten African grey parrots from two laboratories to label items. Training three parrots from the first laboratory for several months with the Model/Rival method, developed by Pepperberg, in which two...