Parrots | Psittacidae

The parrots of the New World and Africa make up this family; in Europe it is represented only by escaped cage birds from South America. They are compactly built, with a short neck, a large head and a hooked, strongly arched bill whose upper mandible is hinged movably in the skull — with it they crack hard seeds and haul themselves through the foliage. The foot has two toes forward and two back, giving a grasping grip that carries food to the bill. Green predominates, often with red or yellow on the head and bend of the wing. They are loud, markedly social birds that feed and roost in flocks; most species nest in cavities, but the Monk Parakeet alone among parrots builds a large communal stick nest.