A companion parrot is a parrot kept as a pet that interacts abundantly with its human counterpart. Generally, most species of parrot can make excellent companions, but must be carefully managed around other common pet species like dogs and cats as they might be hostile towards them.
Grey parrot on top of its cage.
Black-headed caique in its cage
A pet juvenile black-legged parrot wearing a harness out-of-doors
A scarlet macaw chewing wood
Parrots (Psittaciformes), also known as psittacines, are birds with a strong curved beak, upright stance, and clawed feet. They are conformed by four families that contain roughly 410 species in 101 genera, found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. The four families are the Psittaculidae, Psittacidae, Cacatuoidea (cockatoos), and Strigopidae. One-third of all parrot species are threatened by extinction, with a higher aggregate extinction risk than any other comparable bird group. Parrots have a generally pantropical distribution with several species inhabiting temperate regions as well. The greatest diversity of parrots is in South America and Australasia.
Parrot
Fossil skull of a presumed parrot relative from the Eocene Green River Formation in Wyoming
Skeleton of a parrot
Blue and gold macaw (Ara ararauna) skeleton on display at the Museum of Osteology.