The New World and African parrots (family Psittacidae) are a family of birds belonging to the order Psittaciformes. This group is distributed in different wooded areas of tropical regions in the New World and Subsaharan Africa. This group includes the largest parrots in size, known as macaws, and numerous species of this family are popular pets. Overexploitation for trade and habitat loss have threatened numerous species, causing the extinction of at least three of them in recent times. Additionally, their trade and release has given rise to feral populations of different species in urban areas of warm regions worldwide.
The family comprises 177 extant species in 36 genera, generally classified in two subfamilies. The African parrots (subfamily Poicephalinae) includes the genera Psittacus (2 species) and Poicephalus (10 species), distributed along the Afrotropical realm. Despite the name of this group, some of the parrots found in Africa actually belong to the Old World parrot family.
The Neotropical parrots (subfamily Arinae) comprise the largest group of the family, with species found all across the Neotropics and a handful of species venturing north to the southern Nearctic. This subfamily includes an array of genera with still unclear taxonomic relationships, namely Psilopsiagon (2 species), Nannopsittaca (2 species), Bolborhynchus (3 species), Touit (8 species), Forpus (9 species), Myiopsitta (2 species), Brotogeris (8 species), Deroptyus (1 species) and Pionites (2 species).
Besides, there are two large monophyletic clades within Arinae. One includes parrots of genera Pionopsitta (1 species), Triclaria (1 species), Hapalopsittaca (4 species), Pyrilia (7 species), Graydidascalus (1 species), Alipiopsitta (1 species), Pionus (7 species) and Amazona (32 species). A second monophyletic large group includes macaws, conures and other parakeets in genera Rhynchopsitta (2 species), genus Pyrrhura (26 species), genus Enicognathus (2 species), genus Cyanoliseus (1 species), genus Anodorhynchus (2-3 species), genus Aratinga (6 species), genus Cyanopsitta (1 species), genus Orthopsittaca (1 species), genus Primolius (3 species), genus Ara (8 species), genus Eupsittula (5 species), genus Ognorhynchus (1 species), genus Leptosittaca (1 species), genus Thectocercus (1 species), genus Guaruba (1 species), genus Diopsittaca (1 species), genus Psittacara (11 species).
Mpala River Camp, Laikipia, Kenya, 28 Jan 2024
Meyer’s parrot
Poicephalus meyeri
Found in moist savanna and open woodlands of eastern and southern Africa. Seems to favor areas with baobabs. Yellow shoulders and bright green rump are conspicuous and distinctive in this species. I have seen this species in Kenya.
Parque de Málaga, Málaga, Spain, 4 Aug 2023
Monk parakeet
Myiopsitta monachus
Native to open woodlands and croplands of southeastern South America. It has become widespread in large cities across the world due to mass releases from pet trade. Breeds colonially in very large nests made of sticks on trees or wire poles. This species is introduced in Alicante and Valencia.
Parc de Capçalera, Valencia, Spain, 20 Aug 2021
Red-masked parakeet
Psittacara erythrogenys
Found mainly in the dry forest and other woodlands in the Pacific coast of Ecuador and far northwestern Peru, but releases from pet trade have generated populations in several warm urban areas. They usually fly in large, noisy flocks. The only place where the species has become established in the Western Palearctic is the metropolitan area of Valencia.
