BIRDGACHA / FIELD NOTES

Old World Parrots

Old World parrots include lorikeets, lovebirds, parakeets, hanging parrots and several distinctive island lineages. Hooked bills and grasping feet unite birds that vary enormously in size, tail length and colour. Examples include Pesquet's Parrot (Psittrichas fulgidus), Greater Vasa Parrot (Coracopsis vasa), and Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrot (Micropsitta keiensis). Food ranges from seeds and fruit to flowers and nectar in specialised members. Many use tree cavities, while social structure and movement patterns differ. The very small pygmy parrots and the unusual Pesquet's Parrot illustrate why a general parrot account should include specialised forms alongside familiar green, long-tailed or cage-associated species.

How to recognize Old World Parrots

Bill: deep hooked bills.
Outline: diverse bodies with tails ranging from short to elongated.
Feeding: handling fruit, seeds, flowers or nectar with bill and feet.

Where they live

Africa, Asia, Australasia and numerous Indian and Pacific Ocean islands contain the family's native distribution. Forests, woodland, dry scrub, grassland edges and cultivated landscapes support different members. Island endemics can have extremely narrow ranges, while some mainland species move widely between food supplies. Introduced populations add another layer of distribution. Nest cavities and the seasonal availability of the correct foods are important distinctions beyond a broad description of tropical trees.

Species accounts: Pesquet's Parrot · Greater Vasa Parrot · Yellow-capped Pygmy Parrot

Sources — natural history: Wikipedia: Old World Parrots natural history · Cornell Birds of the World: Pesquet's Parrot species account · Don Roberson: Old World Parrots field observations and natural history.

Classification: IOC World Bird List: family names and classification.

Some Cornell Birds of the World account sections require a subscription.

Updated 2026-11-06. Species counts follow this site's catalogue. This is an editorial summary, not an expert peer review.

Species records retain their original English, Chinese and scientific names.

190 results · page 1 of 4