Where do Parrots Live? (Find Out)

Last Updated on October 23, 2023 by Ali Shahid

Where do parrots live? These vibrant and sociable birds are found in a diverse range of habitats around the world. It’s a curious question, and the answer takes us on a fascinating journey through forests, jungles, and even some rather unexpected places. Parrots, with their striking plumage and distinctive squawks, have made a name for themselves as some of the most captivating creatures in the avian kingdom.

Parrots can be found all over the world, with a strong presence in Australia, Asia, South America, and Africa. These colorful birds mostly prefer living in places with warm climates, often in the company of lush jungles or rainforests. They have evolved to thrive in a variety of conditions, each presenting its own set of challenges and opportunities for these feathered companions.

In this article, we will explore the remarkable diversity of parrot habitats, uncovering the secrets of their homes and shedding light on the intriguing lifestyles of these birds. So, if you are curious about where these chatty, colorful birds live, continue reading for a captivating exploration of the world of parrots.

Where do Parrots Live in Australia?

Parrots in Australia call a variety of habitats home, spanning from the dry Outback to the lush coastal forests. Here are some of the places you can find:

1.   Rainforests: The Australian King-Parrot is often seen in the rainforests along the east coast of Australia. It particularly enjoys rainforests and wet sclerophyll forests where it feeds on seeds and fruit.

2.   Woodlands: The Superb Parrot, a vulnerable species, resides in the woodlands of New South Wales and northern Victoria. The Australian Ringneck takes on various forms in the southern interior, with the Eyre Peninsula, Flinders Ranges, and Uluru & Red Centre providing homes for these birds, known for their distinctive golden collars.

3.   Open shrubby grassland: Red-winged Parrots make their homes in open shrubby grasslands. Their habitat stretches from Papua New Guinea across northern areas of Queensland and central northern New South Wales. They mainly dine on fruit, seeds, nectar, and insects found in trees.

4.   Open grasslands and woodlands: Red-rumped Parrots prefer the open grasslands and woodlands of southeast Australia. Their diet consists of grass seeds, and they also feast on seeds and fruits from trees.

5.   Scrub-plain: Mulga Parrots inhabit the inland semi-dry regions, including the mallees, mulgas, and saltbushes found in the southern half of Australia.

Parrot Species Found in Australia

1.   Palm Cockatoo2.   Red-tailed Black Cockatoo3.   Glossy Black Cockatoo4.   Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo5.   Baudin’s Black Cockatoo6.   Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo7.   Gang-gang Cockatoo8.   Cockatiel9.   Sulphur-crested Cockatoo10.   Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo11.   Rainbow Lorikeet12.   Red-collared Lorikeet13.   Scaly-breasted Lorikeet14.   Varied Lorikeet15.   Musk Lorikeet16.   Little Lorikeet17.   Purple-crowned Lorikeet18.   Double-eyed Fig-Parrot19.   Eclectus Parrot20.   Red-cheeked Parrot21.   Australian King-Parrot22.   Red-winged Parrot23.   Superb Parrot24.   Regent Parrot25.   Princess Parrot26.   Green Rosella27.   Crimson Rosella

28.   Eastern Rosella29.   Pale-headed Rosella30.   Northern Rosella31.   Western Rosella32.   Australian Ringneck33.   Red-capped Parrot34.   Bluebonnet35.   Swift Parrot36.   Red-rumped Parrot37.   Mulga Parrot38.   Golden-shouldered Parrot39.   Hooded Parrot40.   Paradise Parrot41.   Tasman Parakeet42.   Red-crowned Parakeet43.   Budgerigar44.   Bourke’s Parrot45.   Blue-winged Parrot46.   Elegant Parrot47.   Rock Parrot48.   Orange-bellied Parrot49.   Turquoise Parrot50.   Scarlet-chested Parrot51.   Eastern Ground Parrot52.   Western Ground Parrot53.   Night Parrot

Where do Parrots Live in South America?

South America has the greatest diversity of parrots, with over 100 species native to this part of the world. Some of the most colorful parrots from this region are the majestic macaws. The burrowing parrots, which are green with white rings around their eyes, live inside cliffs along the northern tip of Patagonia’s desert coast in Argentina.

The mountain’s crumbling sandstone cliffs are home to the largest parrot colony in the world, containing 37,000 nests. The Spix’s macaw, which is small for a macaw but has distinctive blue feathers, is found in northeastern Brazil.

However, due to deforestation, the population of this species is declining, and no verified wild specimens have been seen in the last 20 years. Currently, a small number of breeding pairs are living in captivity, and conservationists are working to rear healthy birds and prepare them for release into the wild.

Here are some of the parrot species that live in South America:

1.   Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna)2.   Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao)3.   Green-winged Macaw (Ara chloropterus)4.   Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus)5.   Military Macaw (Ara militaris)6.   Red-and-green Macaw (Ara chloropterus)7.   Chestnut-fronted Macaw (Ara severus)8.   Yellow-collared Macaw (Primolius auricollis)9.   Maroon-bellied Parakeet (Pyrrhura frontalis)10.   Rose-fronted Parakeet (Pyrrhura roseifrons)11.   Blue-crowned Conure (Thectocercus acuticaudatus)12.   White-eyed Parakeet (Psittacara leucophthalmus)13.   Nanday Parakeet (Aratinga nenday)14.   Sun Parakeet (Aratinga solstitialis)15.   Dusky-headed Parakeet (Aratinga weddellii)16.   Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus)17.   Blue-headed Parrot (Pionus menstruus)

18.   Yellow-faced Parrot (Alipiopsitta xanthops)19.   Scaly-headed Parrot (Pionus maximiliani)20.   Yellow-chevroned Parakeet (Brotogeris chiriri)21.   Spectacled Parrotlet (Forpus conspicillatus)22.   Cobalt-winged Parakeet (Brotogeris cyanoptera)23.   Tui Parakeet (Brotogeris sanctithomae)24.   Orange-winged Parrot (Amazona amazonica)25.   Yellow-shouldered Parrot (Amazona barbadensis)26.   Blue-cheeked Amazon (Amazona dufresniana)27.   Mealy Parrot (Amazona farinosa)28.   Yellow-crowned Amazon (Amazona ochrocephala)29.   Lilac-crowned Parrot (Amazona finschi)30.   Red-lored Amazon (Amazona autumnalis)31.   Red-spectacled Amazon (Amazona pretrei)32.   Hispaniolan Amazon (Amazona ventralis) – Also found in the Caribbean.

Where do Parrots Live in Africa?

African parrots, like the African Grey Parrot, mainly live in forests and woodlands in Africa where they can easily find food, cover, shelter, and places to build their nests. The African Grey Parrot, for instance, comes from equatorial Africa, which includes countries like Angola, Cameroon, the Congo, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda.

 You can spot them in a region stretching from Kenya to the eastern part of Ivory Coast. These birds prefer thick forests, but you can also find them at the edges of forests, mangrove forests, and in more open areas like gallery and savanna forests, as reported by National Geographic.

They may even pay a visit to cultivated lands and gardens. Other African parrots like Lovebirds and Poicephalus Parrots, are also seen in savannas and tropical forests in sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar.

Here is a list of Parrot Species found in Africa

1.   African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus)2.   Senegal Parrot (Poicephalus senegalus)3.   Meyer’s Parrot (Poicephalus meyeri)4.   Red-bellied Parrot (Poicephalus rufiventris)5.   Jardine’s Parrot (Poicephalus gulielmi)6.   Brown-headed Parrot (Poicephalus cryptoxanthus)7.   Rüppell’s Parrot (Poicephalus rueppelli)8.   Cape Parrot (Poicephalus robustus)9.   Yellow-fronted Parrot (Poicephalus flavifrons)10.   Niam-Niam Parrot (Poicephalus crassus)11.   Red-shouldered Parrot (Diopsittaca nobilis)12.   Senegal Parrot (Poicephalus senegalus)13.   Red-fronted Parrot (Poicephalus gulielmi)

14.   Red-headed Lovebird (Agapornis pullarius)15.   Fischer’s Lovebird (Agapornis fischeri)16.   Lilian’s Lovebird (Agapornis lilianae)17.   Black-cheeked Lovebird (Agapornis nigrigenis)18.   Grey-headed Lovebird (Agapornis canus)19.   Yellow-collared Lovebird (Agapornis personatus)20.   Black-winged Lovebird (Agapornis taranta)21.   Meyer’s Parrot (Poicephalus meyeri)22.   Vasa Parrot (Coracopsis spp.)23.   Yellow-bellied Parrot (Poicephalus flaviventris)24.   Niam-Niam Parrot (Poicephalus crassus)25.   Brown-necked Parrot (Poicephalus fuscicollis)26.   Rüppell’s Parrot (Poicephalus rueppelli)

Where do Parrots Live in Asia?

Parrots in the Asian region can be found in a variety of places, such as hill forests, secondary forests, lowland parklands, and areas near lowland primary forests.

The Hanging Parrots, which belong to the Loriculus family, are the only type of parrots that live in all three of these zones, spanning from mainland Asia to New Guinea. The rare and hard-to-spot Racket-tailed Parrots, known as Prioniturus, are found both in the Asian zone and in Wallacea.

The Asian zoogeographical region has a smaller diversity of parrots, featuring only three genera in the Malayan Peninsula: the Ring-necked Parakeets (Psittacula), the unique Blue-rumped Parrot (Psittinus cyanurus), and the Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot (Loriculus galgulus).

Here is a List of parrot Species in Asia.

1.   Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri)2.   Alexandrine Parakeet (Psittacula eupatria)3.   Plum-headed Parakeet (Psittacula cyanocephala)4.   Indian Ringneck Parakeet (Psittacula manillensis)5.   Malabar Parakeet (Psittacula columboides)6.   Derbyan Parakeet (Psittacula derbiana)7.   Slaty-headed Parakeet (Psittacula himalayana)8.   Red-breasted Parakeet (Psittacula alexandri)9.   Long-tailed Parakeet (Psittacula longicauda)

10.   Blue-winged Parrot (Neophema chrysostoma) – Found in eastern Indonesia, including parts of New Guinea.11.   Blue-rumped Parrot (Psittinus cyanurus) – Native to the Malay Peninsula and nearby islands.12.   Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot (Loriculus galgulus) – Distributed in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia and Indonesia.13.   Javan Parakeet (Psittacula suavia) – Found on the Indonesian island of Java.14.   Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot (Loriculus beryllinus) – Native to Sri Lanka.15.   Grey-headed Parakeet (Psittacula finschii) – Found in parts of Southeast Asia.

Conclusion

In conclusion, parrots are a diverse and colorful group of birds that can be found in various parts of the world. In Australia, they inhabit rainforests, woodlands, and open grasslands, with species like the Australian King-Parrot and Red-rumped Parrot making their homes there.

South America boasts the most diverse parrot population, including majestic macaws, though some species, like the Spix’s macaw, face challenges due to deforestation. In Africa, the African Grey Parrot thrives in equatorial regions, while Lovebirds and Poicephalus Parrots are seen in savannas and tropical forests.

Asian parrots can be found in hill forests, secondary forests, and lowland parklands, with unique species like the Hanging Parrots adding to the region’s biodiversity. These beautiful birds have adapted to a wide range of habitats across the globe.