44. Psittaciformes (Parrots)

Parrots belong to the order of Psittaciformes. Members of this order are easily recognized by their strong, uniquely hooked bills and their toe arrangement (two toes face forward and two face to the rear). Most species are brightly colored -- frequently with bright greens. Parrots range from the size of a sparrow to about 3 feet in length. Parrots are found throughout the tropical and south temperate regions of the world, and are most diverse in South America and Australia. Nearly all species dwell in trees, and feed on fruits, nuts, and other vegetable matter. The relationships of this order to other bird groups is not yet well understood.

A cockatoo is a parrot that is any of the 21 species belonging to the bird family Cacatuidae, the only family in the superfamily Cacatuoidea.

Anodorhynchus is a genus of large blue macaws from open and semi-open habitats in central and eastern South America. It includes two endangered species, the hyacinth macaw and Lear's macaw also known as the indigo macaw, and one probably extinct species, the glaucous macaw. At about 100 centimetres (39 in) in length the hyacinth macaw is the longest parrot in the world. Glaucous and Lear's macaws are exclusively cliff nesters; hyacinth macaws are mostly tree nesters. The three species mainly feed on the nuts from a few species of palms (notably Acrocomia aculeata, Attalea phalerata, Butia yatay and Syagrus coronata)