The family Psittacidae or holotropical parrots is one of three families of

true parrot The true parrots are about 350 species of hook-billed, mostly herbivorous birds forming the superfamily Psittacoidea, one of the three superfamilies in the biological order Psittaciformes (parrots). True parrots are widespread, with species i ...

s. It comprises the roughly 10 species of subfamily

Psittacinae Psittacinae is a subfamily of Afrotropical or Old World parrots, native to sub-Saharan Africa, which include twelve species and two extant genera. Among the species is the iconic grey parrot. The '' Poicephalus'' are usually green birds with d ...

(the

Old World The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by th ...

Afrotropical The Afrotropical realm is one of Earth's eight biogeographic realms. It includes Africa south of the Sahara Desert, the majority of the Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, southern Iran and extreme southwestern Pakistan, and the island ...

parrots) and 157 of subfamily

Arinae The neotropical parrots or New World parrots comprise about 150 species in 32 genera found throughout South and Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean islands and (formerly) the southern United States. Among them are some of the most familiar an ...

(the New World or Neotropical parrots), as well as several species that have gone extinct in recent centuries. Some of the most iconic birds in the world are represented here, such as the blue-and-gold macaw among the New World parrots and the grey parrot among the Old World parrots.

Distribution

All of the parrot species in this family are found in tropical and subtropical zones and inhabit Mexico,

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...

and South America, the

Caribbean islands Almost all of the Caribbean islands are in the Caribbean Sea, with only a few in inland lakes. The largest island is Cuba. Other sizable islands include Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago. Some of the smaller islands are ref ...

, sub-Saharan Africa, the island of Madagascar, the

Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate. ...

, Southeast Asia, Australia and Oceania. Two parrots, one extinct and the other extirpated, formerly inhabited the United States.

Evolutionary history

This family probably had its origin early in the Paleogene period, 66–23 million years ago (Mya), after the western half of Gondwana had separated into the continents of Africa and South America, before the divergence of African and New World lineages around 30–35 Mya. The New World parrots, and by implication Old World parrots, last shared a common ancestor with the Australian parrots of the

Cacatuidae A cockatoo is any of the 21 parrot species belonging to the family Cacatuidae, the only family in the superfamily Cacatuoidea. Along with the Psittacoidea (true parrots) and the Strigopoidea (large New Zealand parrots), they make up the ord ...

an estimated 59 Mya. The data place most of the diversification of psittaciformes around 40 Mya, after the separation of Australia from West Antarctica and South America. Divergence of the Psittacidae from the ancestral parrots resulted from a common radiation event from what was then West Antarctica into South America, then Africa, via late Cretaceous land bridges that survived through the Paleogene.

Taxonomy

The family Psittacidae was introduced (as Psittacea) by French polymath

Constantine Samuel Rafinesque Constantine Samuel Rafinesque-Schmaltz (; October 22, 1783September 18, 1840) was a French 19th-century polymath born near Constantinople in the Ottoman Empire and self-educated in France. He traveled as a young man in the United States, ultimat ...

in 1815. The recently revised taxonomy of the family Psittacidae, based on molecular studies, recognizes the sister clade relationship of the Old World Psittacini and New World Arini tribes of subfamily Psittacinae, which have been raised to subfamily ranking and renamed Psittacinae and Arinae. Subfamily Loriinae and the other tribes of subfamily

are now placed in superfamily Psittacoidea of all true parrots, which includes family Psittacidae. * Subfamily

** Genus '' Bavaripsitta''† ** Genus '' Psittacus'' – African grey parrots (two species) ** Genus ''

Poicephalus The genus ''Poicephalus'' belongs to the subfamily Psittacinae of the true parrots (Psittacidae) and comprises ten species of parrots native to various regions of the Afrotropical realm, which encompasses Sub-Saharan Africa, ranging from Seneg ...

'' * Subfamily

** Tribe Arini – macaws and parakeets *** Genus ''

Anodorhynchus ''Anodorhynchus'' is a genus of large blue macaws from open and semi-open habitats in central and eastern South America. It includes two extant species, the hyacinth macaw and Lear's macaw also known as the indigo macaw, and one probably extinc ...

'' *** Genus '' Cyanopsitta'' *** Genus '' Ara'' *** Genus ''

Orthopsittaca The red-bellied macaw (''Orthopsittaca manilatus''), also known as ''Guacamaya Manilata'', is a medium-sized, mostly green South American parrot, a member of a group of large Neotropical parrots known as macaws. It is the largest of what are com ...

'' *** Genus ''

Primolius ''Primolius'' is a genus of macaws comprising three species, which are native to South America. They are mainly green parrots with complex colouring including blues, reds and yellows. They have long tails, a large curved beak, and bare facial ski ...

'' *** Genus ''

Diopsittaca The red-shouldered macaw (''Diopsittaca nobilis'') is a small green South American parrot, a member of a large group of Neotropical parrots called macaws. The species is named for the red coverts on its wings. It is the smallest macaw, being i ...

'' *** Genus ''

Rhynchopsitta The thick-billed parrots are stocky brilliant green Neotropical parrots with heavy black beaks of genus ''Rhynchopsitta'' of thick billed macaw-like parrots. The genus comprises two extant species, the thick-billed parrot and the maroon-fronte ...

'' *** Genus '' Ognorhynchus'' *** Genus '' Guaruba'' *** Genus '' Leptosittaca'' *** Genus '' Conuropsis''† *** Genus ''

Psittacara ''Psittacara'' is a genus of parakeets in the tribe Arini. Species of the genus are found in Central and South America, the Caribbean and one species reaching the southern United States. Until 2013, all the species were placed in the genus ''Ar ...

'' *** Genus ''

Aratinga ''Aratinga'' is a genus of South American conures. Most are predominantly green, although a few are predominantly yellow or orange. They are social and commonly seen in groups in the wild. In Brazil, the popular name of several species usually ...

'' *** Genus ''

Eupsittula ''Eupsittula'' is a genus of South and Middle American parakeets in the tribe Arini. Until 2013, all the species were believed to belong to the genus ''Aratinga''. Some of the ''Eupsittula'' species are kept in aviculture or as companion parr ...

'' *** Genus '' Thectocercus'' *** Genus '' Cyanoliseus'' *** Genus ''

Pyrrhura ''Pyrrhura'' (Greek Red/Fire Tail) is a genus of parrots in the Arini tribe. They occur in tropical and subtropical South America and southern Central America (Panama and Costa Rica). Most are restricted to humid forest and adjacent habitats ...

'' *** Genus '' Enicognathus'' ** Tribe

Androglossini Androglossini is a tribe of birds belonging to the family Psittacidae,Leo Joseph, Alicia Toon, Erin E. Schirtzinger, Timothy F. Wright, Richard Schodde. 2012. A revised nomenclature and classification for family-group taxa of parrots (Psittacifor ...

– Amazon and related parrots *** Genus '' Pyrilia'' *** Genus '' Pionopsitta'' *** Genus '' Graydidascalus'' *** Genus '' Alipiopsitta'' *** Genus ''

Pionus ''Pionus'' is a genus of medium-sized parrots native to Mexico, and Central and South America. Characteristic of the genus are the chunky body, bare eye ring (which can vary in color), and short square tail. They are superficially similar to ...

'' *** Genus ''

Amazona Amazon parrots are parrots in the genus ''Amazona''. They are medium-sized, short-tailed parrots native to the Americas, with their range extending from South America to Mexico and the Caribbean. ''Amazona'' is one of the 92 genera of parrots ...

'' *** Genus '' Triclaria'' ** Clade (proposed tribe Amoropsittacini) *** Genus ''

Nannopsittaca ''Nannopsittaca'' is a genus of parrot in the family Psittacidae The family Psittacidae or holotropical parrots is one of three families of true parrots. It comprises the roughly 10 species of subfamily Psittacinae (the Old World or Afrotro ...

'' *** Genus '' Psilopsiagon'' *** Genus '' Bolborhynchus'' *** Genus ''

Touit ''Touit'' is a genus of Neotropical parrots in the family Psittacidae. The genus was introduced by the English zoologist George Robert Gray in 1855 with the scarlet-shouldered parrotlet (''Touit huetii'') as the type species. The genus name i ...

'' ** Clade (proposed tribe Forpini) – parrotlets *** Genus ''

Forpus ''Forpus'' is a genus of neotropical parrots in the family Psittacidae. It is the only genus in the Forpini tribe of the subfamily Arinae. Taxonomy The genus ''Forpus'' was introduced in 1858 by the German zoologist Friedrich Boie. The type spec ...

'' ** Clade including Arini *** Genus ''

Pionites Caique ( or ) refers to a group of four species of parrots in the genus ''Pionites'' endemic to the Amazon Basin in South America. Name The term "caique" is primarily used in aviculture, with ornithologists typically referring to them as th ...

'' – caiques (four species) *** Genus ''

Deroptyus The red-fan parrot (''Deroptyus accipitrinus''), also known as the hawk-headed parrot, is a New World parrot hailing from the Amazon Rainforest. It is the only member of the genus ''Deroptyus''. It dwells in Brazil, Suriname, Bolivia, Ecuado ...

'' – red-fan parrot ** Clade including Androglossini *** Genus ''

Hapalopsittaca ''Hapalopsittaca'' is a genus of Neotropical parrot The neotropical parrots or New World parrots comprise about 150 species in 32 genera found throughout South and Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean islands and (formerly) the southern Un ...

'' *** Genus ''

Brotogeris ''Brotogeris'' is a genus of small parrots endemic to Central and South America. Their closest relatives are the monk parakeet and the and the cliff parakeet in the genus '' Myiopsitta''. They eat seeds and fruit. The word ''brotogeris'' means ...

'' *** Genus '' Myiopsitta''

References

{{Authority control Parrots Taxa described in 1815 Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque