From tiny parrots to really big ones

Parrots come in all shapes and sizes, from tiny little birds with dinky little beaks to really big parrots with massive beaks — namely the parrots native to the South American rainforests, the Macaws and Amazons; but the most popular small parrot to keep in the home is the budgerigar.

However, the smallest parrot in the world which is the buff-faced pygmy parrot. Its Latin name is Micropsitta pusio and it weighs only 0.4 oz and grows to a very small 3.5 inches.

And one of the biggest parrots that people like to keep are the Hyacinth macaws — the Latin name is Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus. The parrot can weigh in at around 5lbs and grows up to 39 inches

Kakapo

Kakapos are very unusual parrots. They’re flightless, very large — sometimes reaching 4kg in weight. Kakapos are native to New Zealand but now only exists on specially protected islands, where their nests are safe from introduced vermin such as rats, stoats and feral cats. It the only flightless and nocturnal parrot.

No chocolates please!

Chocolates contain the compound theobromine, which speeds up the metabolism. The darker chocolates containing a higher percentage of cacao, they are more hazardous as chocolate toxicity can be fatal. So avoid sharing chocolates with your pet parrot. It is very poisonous for their body.

Published in Dawn, Young World, August 20th, 2016