Species group · 12 profiles

Parrots

Twelve parrots profiled, from the budgerigar to the hyacinth macaw, kea and kākāpō. Size, diet, range and IUCN Red List status for each.

Quick answer

Parrots are curved-billed, mostly tropical birds with two toes pointing forward and two back, which lets them grip food like a hand. The IOC World Bird List (version 15.2) recognises 392 living species in four families: the New Zealand parrots, the cockatoos, and two large families of true parrots. This hub profiles twelve, from the budgerigar to the hyacinth macaw, the longest parrot in the world. It covers wild species such as the kea and the flightless kākāpō, popular pets such as the cockatiel and African grey parrot, the rose-ringed and monk parakeets now living in European and American cities, and Spix's macaw, which survives only in captivity.

By the Global Animal Guide editorial team Last reviewed November 1, 2026 Cite this page How we research & review

Parrots in this guide

African grey parrot with pale grey feathers and a bright red tail perched on a branch

Endangered

Bird

African Grey Parrot

One of the most intelligent talking birds

Scarlet macaw with red body and blue-and-yellow wing covert perched on a rainforest canopy branch

Least Concern

Bird

Scarlet Macaw

Iconic red-and-blue rainforest parrot

Hyacinth macaw with deep cobalt plumage and yellow eye-ring perched on a palm frond

Vulnerable

Bird

Hyacinth Macaw

Largest flying parrot, cobalt blue

Spix's macaw with dull blue plumage, a grey-blue head and dark bill perched in front of yellow leaves

Extinct in the Wild

Bird

Spix's Macaw

The blue macaw that vanished from the wild

Green and yellow budgerigar parakeet with black barring perched on a branch

Least Concern

Bird

Budgerigar

The little Australian parakeet and world's most popular pet bird

Grey cockatiel with yellow crest and orange cheek patches perched on a wooden perch

Least Concern

Bird

Cockatiel

The crested Australian parrot known for whistling

Sulphur-crested cockatoo with raised yellow crest in eucalyptus

Least Concern

Bird

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo

Australia's loud crested parrot

Least Concern

Bird

Peach-faced Lovebird

Africa's pocket parrot that bonds for life

Two green rose-ringed parakeets with red bills at a nest hole in a tree trunk

Least Concern

Bird

Rose-ringed Parakeet

The green parakeet now living in cities worldwide

Kea with orange underwing coverts flashing as it perches on alpine scree

Endangered

Bird

Kea

Alpine parrot renowned for curiosity

Moss-green kākāpō with owl-like face standing on fern-covered New Zealand forest floor

Critically Endangered

Bird

Kakapo

Flightless nocturnal parrot of New Zealand

Monk parakeet with a green body and pale grey forehead and breast standing on bare ground

Least Concern

Bird

Monk Parakeet

The only parrot that builds stick nests

Telling them apart

'Parrot', 'macaw', 'parakeet' and 'cockatoo' overlap. Cockatoos, including the cockatiel, have movable crests and form their own family. Macaws are large, long-tailed parrots of Central and South America. 'Parakeet' simply means a small, long-tailed parrot, so the budgerigar and the rose-ringed parakeet are only distantly related.

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Parrots: common questions

How many species of parrot are there?

The IOC World Bird List (version 15.2) recognises 392 living parrot species, including cockatoos and the New Zealand parrots.

Is a cockatiel a cockatoo?

Yes. The cockatiel is the smallest member of the cockatoo family, Cacatuidae.

Which parrots can talk?

Many parrots can learn to mimic speech. The African grey parrot is especially well known for it, and budgerigars can learn large vocabularies, but ability varies a lot between individual birds.

Which parrots are endangered?

In this hub, Spix's macaw is Extinct in the Wild, the kākāpō is Critically Endangered, the African grey parrot and kea are Endangered, and the hyacinth macaw is Vulnerable.

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