MORE ABOUT PARROT......

For decades the night parrot, or night parakeet (Geopsittacus occidentalis), of Australia was thought to be extinct, until a dead one was found in 1990. It feeds at night on spinifex grass seeds and dozes under a tussock by day. Its nest is a twig platform in a bush and is entered by way of a tunnel. Equally unusual is the ground parrot, or ground parakeet (Pezoporus wallicus). Rare local populations exist in the wastelands of coastal southern Australia and western Tasmania. It runs in the grass, flushes like a quail, and makes a sudden deceptive pitch, and it was formerly hunted with dogs. It eats seeds and insects; its nest is a leaf-lined depression under a bush.

The lories (with short tails) and lorikeets (with longer, pointed tails) make up the Psittacidae subfamilyLoriinae. The 53 species in 12 genera are found in Australia, New Guinea, and some Pacific islands. All have a slender, wavy-edged beak and a brush-tipped tongue for extracting nectar from flowers and juices from fruits.

The pygmy parrots of the subfamily Micropsittinae all belong to the genus Micropsitta. The six species are endemic to New Guinea and nearby islands. These are the smallest members of the family. They live in forests, where they eat insects and fungi.

The subfamily Nestorinae is found only in New Zealand. The kea (Nestor notabilis) occasionally tears into sheep carcasses (rarely, weakened sheep) to get at the fat around the kidneys. The kaka, N. meridionalis, a gentler forest bird, is often kept as a pet. The owl parrot, or kakapo (Strigops habroptilus), also lives only in New Zealand. It is the sole member of the subfamily Strigopinae. Rare and once thought extinct, it survives as a scant population on Stewart Island.

The cockatoo family (Cacatuidae) numbers 21 species from Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands. The group includes the cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus), a smaller bird. All are crested and have heavy beaks for cracking nuts and seeds. The so-called sea parrot is unrelated to the psittaciforms (see puffin).