Psittaciformes

Psittaciformes is the order of birds which contains parrots, macawes, lories, cockatoos, and New Zealand parrots.  Psittaciformes consists of 3 families, 86 genera, and 355 species.

There is only one family of Psittaciformes found in North America which is Psittacidae which consists of parakeets and parrots.  In the family Psittacidae there are 12 species found in Eastern and Central North America.  These birds are noisy, very colorful, and have zygodactyl feet.  They can mostly be found in the southern part of the United State in Florida and Texas.

Family: Psittacidae (Found in North America)

• Red-Crowened Parrot: A large green bird with a red crown and blue nape usually about 12 inches.  It is noisiest in the morning and evening and is a great mimickers of sounds.  It feeds on seeds, fruits, berries, and flowers. It is often kept as a pet.  Red-Crowened Parrots are found in southern Texas.

• Yellow-Chevroned Parakeet: Mostly bright green plumage with a lighter green on the breast and belly and yellow ends on the wings. It averages 8-9 inches long.  It has a variety of calls which consist of loud high pitched calls in flight, low squawks when taking flight, and chattering notes when feeding.  Yellow-Chevroned Parakeets are located in South Florida.

Family: Strigopidae

• Kakapo: A large flightless parrot and one of the world's rarest birds.  It is the only nocturnal parrot.  It has a yellow and green plumage.  It feeds on plants, leaves, seeds, and fruit.  They breed only once every two to five years when food is abundant.  A Kakapo is found in New Zealand.

Family: Cacatuidae

Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo: A White bird with a yellow crest and yellowish feathers underneath the wings that can be seen during flight.  A Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo has a loud voice and is able to mimic sounds and words when in captivity.  It lives on a variety of seeds, nuts, and fruits.  Their breeding season is between December and March when food is readily available.  It is found in East and North Australia and New Guinea.