77-426: Menuridae Atrichornithidae Climacteridae Ptilonorhynchidae Maluridae Meliphagidae Dasyornithidae Pardalotidae Acanthizidae Pomatostomidae Orthonychidae Cnemophilidae Melanocharitidae Callaeidae Notiomystidae Corvides Passerida See text A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds ( Passeriformes ). Another name that
154-407: A S shape that together resemble the shape of a lyre . Lyrebirds were thought to be Galliformes like the broadly similar looking partridge , junglefowl , and pheasants familiar to Europeans, reflected in the early names given to the superb lyrebird, including native pheasant. They were also called peacock-wrens and Australian birds-of-paradise. The idea that they were related to the pheasants
231-400: A call that is distinctly melodious. Songbirds do, however, possess a highly developed vocal organ, the syrinx , that enables their sonorous activity. This organ, also known as a song box, can be found where the windpipe meets diverging bronchial tubes which lead to the lungs. The organ is a solid, bony structure lined with a film of membranes which air passes through as the songbird calls. While
308-528: A familiar perch, other species common to grasslands will sing a familiar song each time they fly. Currently, there have been numerous studies involving songbird repertoires, unfortunately, there has not yet been a concrete evidence to confirm that every songbird species prefers larger repertoires. A conclusion can be made that it can vary between species on whether a larger repertoire is connected to better fitness. With this conclusion, it can be inferred that evolution via natural selection, or sexual selection, favors
385-426: A high degree of dexterity, in a similar manner to a human using their hands. A study conducted with Australian parrots has demonstrated that they exhibit " handedness ", a distinct preference with regards to the foot used to pick up food, with adult parrots being almost exclusively "left-footed" or "right-footed", and with the prevalence of each preference within the population varying by species. Cockatoo species have
462-552: A higher aggregate extinction risk ( IUCN Red List Index ) than any other comparable bird group. Parrots have a generally pantropical distribution with several species inhabiting temperate regions as well. The greatest diversity of parrots is in South America and Australasia . Parrots—along with ravens, crows, jays, and magpies —are among the most intelligent birds, and the ability of some species to imitate human speech enhances their popularity as pets . They form
539-431: A large dog. The lower mandible is shorter, with a sharp, upward-facing cutting edge, which moves against the flat part of the upper mandible in an anvil-like fashion. Touch receptors occur along the inner edges of the keratinised bill, which are collectively known as the " bill tip organ ", allowing for highly dexterous manipulations. Seed-eating parrots have a strong tongue (containing similar touch receptors to those in
616-554: A lyre, and that the tail would be held in a similar way to that of a peacock during courtship display , and so he arranged the feathers in this way. Later, John Gould (who had also never seen a live lyrebird), painted the lyrebird from the British Museum specimen. The male lyrebird's tail is not held as in John Gould's painting. Instead, the male lyrebird's tail is fanned over the lyrebird during courtship display, with
693-502: A lyrebird chick had been a pet, although they acknowledged compelling evidence on both sides of the argument. Until the 2019–2020 Australian bushfire season , superb lyrebirds were not considered threatened in the short to medium term. Concern has since grown as early analyses have shown the extent of destruction of the lyrebird's preferred wet-forest habitats, which in less intense previous bushfire seasons have been spared, in large part due to their moisture content. Albert's lyrebird has
770-467: A mobile crest of feathers on the top of their heads, which they can raise for display, and retract. No other parrots can do so, but the Pacific lorikeets in the genera Vini and Phigys can ruffle the feathers of the crown and nape, and the red-fan parrot (or hawk-headed parrot) has a prominent feather neck frill that it can raise and lower at will. The predominant colour of plumage in parrots
847-410: A reclassification of its status from "common" to "threatened". Beyond this new threat are the long-term vulnerabilities to predation by cats and foxes , as well as human population pressure on its habitat. The lyrebird is so called because the male bird has a spectacular tail, consisting of 16 highly modified feathers (two long slender lyrates at the centre of the plume, two broader medians on
SECTION 10
#1732765529884924-573: A single family, but evidence that they are also related to the bowerbirds remains controversial. Lyrebirds are ancient Australian animals: the Australian Museum has fossils of lyrebirds dating back to about 15 million years ago. The prehistoric Menura tyawanoides has been described from Early Miocene fossils found at the famous Riversleigh site. Two species of lyrebird are extant: [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The lyrebirds are large passerine birds, amongst
1001-539: A small genus restricted to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. The superfamily Strigopoidea contains three living species of aberrant parrots from New Zealand. The broad-tailed parrots, subfamily Platycercinae , are restricted to Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific islands as far eastwards as Fiji . The true parrot superfamily, Psittacoidea, includes a range of species from Australia and New Guinea to South Asia and Africa. The centre of cockatoo biodiversity
1078-509: A strong curved beak , upright stance, and clawed feet. They are classified in four families that contain roughly 410 species in 101 genera , found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. The four families are the Psittaculidae (Old World parrots), Psittacidae (African and New World parrots), Cacatuoidea (cockatoos), and Strigopidae (New Zealand parrots). One-third of all parrot species are threatened by extinction , with
1155-509: A superb lyrebird mimicking sounds of an electronic shooting game, workmen and chainsaws was added to the National Film and Sound Archive 's Sounds of Australia registry in 2013. Both species of lyrebird produced elaborate lyrebird-specific vocalisations including 'whistle songs'. Males also sing songs specifically associated with their song and dance displays. One researcher, Sydney Curtis, has recorded flute-like lyrebird calls in
1232-434: A trade-off in either direction depending on which trait would produce a higher fitness at that time period. Song repertoire can be attributed to male songbirds as it is one of the main mechanisms of courtship. Song repertoires differ from male individual to male individual and species to species. Some species may typically have large repertoires while others may have significantly smaller ones. Mate choice in female songbirds
1309-456: A very restricted habitat and had been listed as vulnerable by the IUCN , but because the species and its habitat were carefully managed, the species was re-assessed to near threatened in 2009. The superb lyrebird had already been seriously threatened by habitat destruction in the past. Its population had since recovered, but the 2019–2020 bushfires damaged much of its habitat, which may lead to
1386-433: A wide frontal binocular field for a bird, although this is nowhere near as large as primate binocular visual fields. Unlike humans, the vision of parrots is also sensitive to ultraviolet light. Parrots have strong zygodactyl feet (two toes facing forward and two back) with sharp, elongated claws, which are used for climbing and swinging. Most species are capable of using their feet to manipulate food and other objects with
1463-748: Is Australia and New Guinea, although some species reach the Solomon Islands (and one formerly occurred in New Caledonia ), Wallacea and the Philippines. Several parrots inhabit the cool, temperate regions of South America and New Zealand . Three species—the thick-billed parrot , the green parakeet , and the now-extinct Carolina parakeet —have lived as far north as the southern United States. Many parrots, especially monk parakeets , have been introduced to areas with temperate climates, and have established stable populations in parts of
1540-464: Is a highly diverse lineage, uniting over one-third of all bird species to include (in 2015) 3,885 species). These are divided into three major superfamilies (though not exactly corresponding to the Sibley-Ahlquist arrangement), in addition to some minor lineages. In contrast, Sibley & Alquist's "Corvida" is a phylogenetic grade and an artefact of the phenetic methodology. The bulk of
1617-516: Is a mixture of elements of its own song and mimicry of other species. Lyrebirds render with great fidelity the individual songs of other birds and the chatter of flocks of birds, and also mimic other animals such as possums, koalas and dingoes . Lyrebirds have been recorded mimicking human sounds such as a mill whistle, a cross-cut saw, chainsaws , car engines and car alarms , fire alarms , rifle -shots, camera shutters, dogs barking, crying babies, music, mobile phone ring tones, and even
SECTION 20
#17327655298841694-435: Is a significant realm of study as song abilities are continuously evolving. Males often sing to assert their dominance over other males in competition for a female, sometimes in lieu of a combative episode, and to arouse the female by announcing a readiness to mate. Though less frequent, females have also been known to sing occasionally a duet with a mate as an affirmation of their partnership. While some will sing their song from
1771-491: Is either of two species of ground-dwelling Australian birds that compose the genus Menura , and the family Menuridae . They are most notable for their impressive ability to mimic natural and artificial sounds from their environment, and the striking beauty of the male bird's huge tail when it is fanned out in courtship display. Lyrebirds have unique plumes of neutral-coloured tailfeathers and are among Australia's best-known native birds. The classification of lyrebirds
1848-718: Is found in areas of rainforest in Victoria , New South Wales , and south-east Queensland . It is also found in Tasmania where it was introduced in the 19th century. Many superb lyrebirds live in the Dandenong Ranges National Park and Kinglake National Park around Melbourne , the Royal National Park and Illawarra region south of Sydney, in many other parks along the east coast of Australia, and non protected bushland. Albert's lyrebird
1925-550: Is found only in a small area of Southern Queensland rainforest . Lyrebirds are shy and difficult to approach, particularly the Albert's lyrebird, with the result that little information about its behaviour has been documented. When lyrebirds detect potential danger, they pause and scan the surroundings, sound an alarm, and either flee the area on foot, or seek cover and freeze. Firefighters sheltering in mine shafts during bushfires have been joined by lyrebirds. Lyrebirds feed on
2002-537: Is given between courting partners. And even though some parrots (which are not songbirds) can be taught to repeat human speech, vocal mimicry among birds is almost completely restricted to songbirds, some of which (such as the lyrebirds or the aptly named mockingbirds ) excel in imitating the sounds of other birds or even environmental noises. The birds from higher altitudes have evolved thicker downs (also known as jackets) to protect themselves from colder temperatures. Their feathers have outer and inner portions, with
2079-405: Is green, though most species have some red or another colour in small quantities. Cockatoos, however, are predominately black or white with some red, pink, or yellow. Strong sexual dimorphism in plumage is not typical among parrots, with some notable exceptions, the most striking being the eclectus parrot . However, it has been shown that some parrot species exhibit sexually dimorphic plumage in
2156-626: Is not from a bird, but from a caenagnathid oviraptorosaur (a non-avian dinosaur with a birdlike beak), as several details of the fossil used to support its identity as a parrot are not actually exclusive to parrots, and it is dissimilar to the earliest-known unequivocal parrot fossils. It is generally assumed that the Psittaciformes were present during the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event (K-Pg extinction), 66 mya. They were probably generalised arboreal birds, and did not have
2233-508: Is sometimes seen as the scientific or vernacular name is Oscines , from Latin oscen , "songbird". The Passeriformes contains 5,000 or so species found all over the world, in which the vocal organ typically is developed in such a way as to produce a diverse and elaborate bird song . Songbirds form one of the two major lineages of extant perching birds (~4,000 species), the other being the Tyranni (~1,000 species), which are most diverse in
2310-494: Is the population of superb lyrebirds in Tasmania, which have retained the calls of species not native to Tasmania in their repertoire, with some local Tasmanian endemic bird songs added. The female lyrebirds of both species are also mimics capable of complex vocalisations. Superb lyrebird females are silent during courtship; however, they regularly produce sophisticated vocal displays during foraging and nest defense. A recording of
2387-568: The Australian continent and only about 40 million years ago, oscines started to colonize Eurasia , Africa , and eventually the Americas . The song in this clade is essentially territorial, because it communicates the identity and whereabouts of an individual to other birds, and also signals sexual intentions. Sexual selection among songbirds is highly based on mimetic vocalization. Female preference has shown in some populations to be based on
Songbird - Misplaced Pages Continue
2464-580: The Early Miocene around 20 mya. The name 'Psittaciformes' comes from the ancient Greek for parrot, ψιττακός ( 'Psittacus' ), whose origin is unclear. Ctesias (5th century BCE) recorded the name Psittacus after the Indian name for a bird, most likely a parakeet (now placed in the genus Psittacula ). Pliny the Elder (23/24–79 CE) in his Natural History (book 10, chapter 58) noted that
2541-678: The Neotropics and absent from many parts of the world. The Tyranni have a simpler syrinx musculature, and while their vocalizations are often just as complex and striking as those of songbirds, they are altogether more mechanical sounding. There is a third perching bird lineage, the Acanthisitti of New Zealand , of which only two species remain alive today. Recent estimates indicate that songbirds originated 50 million years ago. The distribution of their basal lineages suggest that their origin and initial diversification occurred exclusively in
2618-546: The Philippines in the north to Australia and across the Pacific as far as French Polynesia , with the greatest diversity being found in and around New Guinea . The subfamily Arinae encompasses all the neotropical parrots, including the amazons, macaws, and conures, and ranges from northern Mexico and the Bahamas to Tierra del Fuego in the southern tip of South America. The pygmy parrots, tribe Micropsittini , form
2695-429: The buff-faced pygmy parrot , at under 10 g (0.4 oz) in weight and 8 cm (3.1 in) in length, to the hyacinth macaw , at 1 m (3.3 ft) in length, and the kākāpō , at 4.0 kg (8.8 lb) in weight. Among the superfamilies, the three extant Strigopoidea species are all large parrots, and the cockatoos tend to be large birds, as well. The Psittacoidea parrots are far more variable, ranging
2772-403: The common cuckoo or little crake can be contrasted with the variety of a nightingale or marsh warbler . However, although many songbirds have songs that are pleasant to the human ear, this is not invariably the case. Many members of the crow family ( Corvidae ) communicate with croaks or screeches, which sound harsh to humans. Even these, however, have a song of sorts, a softer twitter that
2849-416: The leaf -litter. Lyrebirds are long-lived birds that can live as long as 30 years. They have long breeding cycles and start breeding later in life than other passerine birds. Female superb lyrebirds start breeding at the age of five or six, and males at the age of six to eight. Males defend territories from other males, and those territories may contain the breeding territories of up to eight females. Within
2926-628: The order may have evolved in Gondwana , centred in Australasia. The scarcity of parrots in the fossil record, however, presents difficulties in confirming the hypothesis. There is currently a higher number of fossil remains from the northern hemisphere in the early Cenozoic. Molecular studies suggest that parrots evolved approximately 59 million years ago (Mya) (range 66–51 Mya) in Gondwana. The Neotropical Parrots are monophyletic , and
3003-472: The pet trade , as well as hunting , habitat loss , and competition from invasive species , has diminished wild populations, with parrots being subjected to more exploitation than any other group of wild birds. As of 2021, about 50 million parrots (half of all parrots) live in captivity, with the vast majority of these living as pets in people's homes. Measures taken to conserve the habitats of some high-profile charismatic species have also protected many of
3080-802: The "Corvida" make up the large clade Corvides (812 species as of 2015), which is a sister group to the Passerida. The remaining 15 oscine families (343 species in 2015) form a series of basally branching sister groups to the Corvoid - Passerid clade. All of these groups, which form at least six successively branching basal clades, are found exclusively or predominantly in Australasia. Australian endemics are also prominent among basal lineages in both Corvoids and Passerids, suggesting that songbirds originated and diverged in Australia. Scrubbirds and lyrebirds, of which there are just two species of each, represent
3157-408: The 1930s: "The Keel Row" and "Mosquito's Dance". Musicologist David Rothenberg has endorsed this information. However, a "flute lyrebird" research group (including Curtis and Fenton) formed to investigate the veracity of this story found no evidence of "Mosquito Dance" and only remnants of "Keel Row" in contemporary and historical lyrebird recordings from this area. Neither were they able to prove that
Songbird - Misplaced Pages Continue
3234-653: The Indians called the bird "siptaces"; however, no matching Indian name has been traced. Popinjay is an older term for parrots, first used in English in the 1500s. Molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that Psittaciformes form a monophyletic clade that is sister to the Passeriformes : The time calibrated phylogeny indicates that the Australaves diverged around 65 Ma (million years ago) and
3311-516: The Psittaciformes diverged from the Passeriformes around 62 Ma. Cariamiformes – seriemas Falconiformes – falcons Passeriformes – songbirds Psittaciformes – parrots Most taxonomists now divide Psittaciformes into four families: Strigopidae (New Zealand parrots), Cacatuidae (Cockatoos), Psittacidae (African and New World parrots) and Psittaculidae (Old World parrots). In 2012 Leo Joseph and collaborators proposed that
3388-659: The Psittacoidea, but the former is now placed at the base of the parrot tree next to the remaining members of the Psittacoidea, as well as all members of the Cacatuoidea. The Cacatuoidea are quite distinct, having a movable head crest, a different arrangement of the carotid arteries, a gall bladder , differences in the skull bones, and lack the Dyck texture feathers that—in the Psittacidae—scatter light to produce
3465-418: The ability to retain larger repertoires for these certain species as it leads to higher reproductive success. During times of courtship, it is said that male songbirds increase their repertoire by mimicking other species songs. The better the mimicking ability, retaining ability, and the quantity of other species mimicked has been proven to have a positive relationship with mating success. Female preferences cause
3542-423: The bill tip organ), which helps to manipulate seeds or position nuts in the bill so that the mandibles can apply an appropriate cracking force. The head is large, with eyes positioned high and laterally in the skull, so the visual field of parrots is unlike any other birds. Without turning its head, a parrot can see from just below its bill tip, all above its head, and quite far behind its head. Parrots also have quite
3619-410: The constant improvement of accuracy and presentation of the copied songs. Another theory known as the "song-sharing hypothesis" suggests that females prefer simpler, more homogenous songs that signal a male of familiar territory. As birdsong can be broken into regional dialects through this process of mimicry, the foreign song of a newcomer suggests the lack of territorial possession. This can be costly in
3696-435: The extent of a male's song repertoire. The larger a male's repertoire, the more females a male individual attracts. It is not to be confused with bird calls that are used for alarms and contact and are especially important in birds that feed or migrate in flocks. While almost all living birds give calls of some sort, well-developed songs are only given by a few lineages outside the songbirds. And still, not all songbirds proffer
3773-401: The female, and the female also fosters the chick alone. A lyrebird's song is one of the more distinctive aspects of its behavioural biology. Lyrebirds sing throughout the year, but the peak of the breeding season, from June to August, is when they sing with the most intensity. During this peak males may sing for four hours of the day, almost half the hours of daylight. The song of the lyrebird
3850-452: The full spectrum of sizes shown by the family. The most obvious physical characteristic is the strong, curved, broad bill. The upper mandible is prominent, curves downward, and comes to a point. It is not fused to the skull, which allows it to move independently, and contributes to the tremendous biting pressure the birds are able to exert. A large macaw, for example, has a bite force of 35 kg/cm (500 lb/sq in), close to that of
3927-437: The ground and as individuals. A range of invertebrate prey is taken, including insects such as cockroaches , beetles (both adults and larvae), earwigs , fly larvae, and the adults and larvae of moths. Other prey taken includes centipedes , spiders , earthworms . Less commonly taken prey includes stick insects, bugs, amphipods , lizards , frogs and occasionally, seeds . They find food by scratching with their feet through
SECTION 50
#17327655298844004-473: The human voice. However, while the mimicry of human noises is widely reported, the extent to which it happens is exaggerated and the phenomenon is unusual. Parts of the lyrebird's own song can resemble human-made sound effects , which has given rise to the urban legend that they frequently imitate video game or film sounds. The superb lyrebird's mimicked calls are learned from the local environment, including from other superb lyrebirds. An instructive example
4081-438: The largest in the order. They are ground living birds with strong legs and feet and short rounded wings. They are poor fliers and rarely fly except for periods of downhill gliding. The superb lyrebird is the larger of the two species. Lyrebirds measure 31 to 39 inches in length, including their tail. Males tend to be slightly larger than females. Females weigh around 2 pounds, and males weigh around 2.4 pounds. The superb lyrebird
4158-495: The less charismatic species living in the same ecosystems . Parrots are the only creatures that display true tripedalism , using their necks and beaks as limbs with propulsive forces equal to or greater than those forces generated by the forelimbs of primates when climbing vertical surfaces. They can travel with cyclical tripedal gaits when climbing. Psittaciform diversity in South America and Australasia suggests that
4235-423: The lower down being fluffier and warmer to provide increased warmth. Sexual selection can be broken down into several different studies regarding different aspects of a bird's song. As a result, songs can vary even within a single species. Many believe that song repertoire and cognition have a direct relationship. However, a study published in 2013 has shown that cognitive abilities may not all be directly related to
4312-426: The male lyrebird has several. The strength, volume, and location of the nest built by the female lyrebird is dependent on the rainfall and predation during the nest building period. It is important for the nest to be water resistant and hidden in secluded areas so predators cannot attack. Once the nest is made in the preferred location, the female lyrebird lays a single egg . The egg is incubated over 50 days solely by
4389-410: The male territories, the males create or use display platforms; for the superb lyrebird, this is a mound of bare soil; for the Albert's lyrebird, it is a pile of twigs on the forest floor. Male lyrebirds call mostly during winter, when they construct and maintain an open arena-mound in dense bush , on which they sing and dance in an elaborate courtship display performed for potential mates, of which
4466-617: The most variably sized bird order in terms of length; many are vividly coloured and some, multi-coloured. Most parrots exhibit little or no sexual dimorphism in the visual spectrum. The most important components of most parrots' diets are seeds, nuts, fruit, buds, and other plant material. A few species sometimes eat animals and carrion , while the lories and lorikeets are specialised for feeding on floral nectar and soft fruits. Almost all parrots nest in tree hollows (or nest boxes in captivity), and lay white eggs from which hatch altricial (helpless) young. Trapping wild parrots for
4543-577: The oldest lineage of songbirds on Earth. The rufous scrubbird , Atrichornis rufescens , is essentially confined to the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area, occurring in both Queensland and New South Wales sections. It is now only found at elevations above 600 m (2,000 ft). One of the earliest known fossil songbirds is Resoviaornis from the Early Oligocene of Poland. Menuridae A lyrebird
4620-476: The outside edges and twelve filamentaries arrayed between them), which was originally thought to resemble a lyre . This happened when a superb lyrebird specimen (which had been taken from Australia to England during the early 19th century) was prepared for display at the British Museum by a taxidermist who had never seen a live lyrebird. The taxidermist mistakenly thought that the tail would resemble
4697-476: The parrots should be divided into six families. The New Zealand parrots in the genus Nestor were placed in a separate family Nestoridae and the two basal genera in the family Psittaculidae ( Psittrichas and Coracopsis ) were placed in a separate family Psittrichasidae. The two additional families have not been recognised by taxonomists involved in curating lists of world birds and instead only four families are recognised. The following cladogram shows
SECTION 60
#17327655298844774-803: The phylogenetic relationships between the four families. The species numbers are taken from the list maintained by Frank Gill , Pamela Rasmussen and David Donsker on behalf of the International Ornithological Committee (IOC), now the International Ornithologists' Union . Strigopidae – New Zealand parrots (4 species) Cacatuidae – Cockatoos (22 species) Psittacidae – African and New World parrots (179 species) Psittaculidae – Old World parrots (203 species) The Psittaciformes comprise three main lineages: Strigopoidea , Psittacoidea and Cacatuoidea . The Strigopoidea were considered part of
4851-428: The song boxes of songbirds vary in size and intricacy, this does not necessarily determine the songbird's ability to voice their song. Researchers believe this has more to do with the length of the windpipe. Other birds (especially non-passeriforms) sometimes have songs to attract mates or hold territory, but these are usually simple and repetitive, lacking the variety of many oscine songs. The monotonous repetition of
4928-413: The song repertoire of a songbird. Specifically, spatial learning is said to have an inverse relationship with song repertoire. So for example, this would be an individual who does not migrate as far as others in the species but has a better song repertoire. This suggests an evolutionary trade-off between possible alleles. With natural selection choosing traits best fit for reproductive success, there could be
5005-500: The specialised crushing bills of modern species. Genomic analysis provides strong evidence that parrots are the sister group of passerines , forming the clade Psittacopasserae , which is the sister group of the falcons . The first uncontroversial parrot fossils date to tropical Eocene Europe around 50 mya. Initially, a neoavian named Mopsitta tanta , uncovered in Denmark's Early Eocene Fur Formation and dated to 54 mya,
5082-519: The species was described and named Menura novaehollandiae by John Latham in 1801, and this is the accepted name by virtue of nomenclatural priority . The genus name Menura refers to the pattern of repeated transparent crescents (or "lunules") on the superb lyrebird's outer tail-feathers, from the Ancient Greek words μήνη mēnē "moon" and ουρά ourá "tail". Lyrebirds are named because their outer tail feathers are broad and curved in
5159-733: The tail completely covering his head and back—as can be seen in the image in the " breeding " section of this page, and also the image of the 10-cent coin, where the superb lyrebird's tail (in courtship display) is portrayed accurately. The lyrebird has been featured as a symbol and emblem many times, especially in New South Wales and Victoria (where the superb lyrebird has its natural habitat), and in Queensland (where Albert's lyrebird has its natural habitat). Parrot Parrots ( Psittaciformes ), also known as psittacines ( / ˈ s ɪ t ə s aɪ n z / ), are birds with
5236-661: The three major clades originated about 50 Mya (range 57–41 Mya). A single 15 mm (0.6 in) fragment from a large lower bill ( UCMP 143274), found in deposits from the Lance Creek Formation in Niobrara County, Wyoming , had been thought to be the oldest parrot fossil and is presumed to have originated from the Late Cretaceous period, which makes it about 70 million years old. However, other studies suggest that this fossil
5313-664: The tribe Cyclopsittini ) and budgerigar (tribe Melopsittacini). Strigopidae Cacatuidae Neotropical parrots Psittacinae Psittrichadinae Coracopseinae Psittaculinae Broad-tailed parrots Fig parrots Budgerigar Lories and Lorikeets Bolbopsittacus Hanging parrots Lovebirds Psittacella The order Psittaciformes consists of four families containing roughly 410 species belonging to 101 genera. Superfamily Strigopoidea : New Zealand parrots Superfamily Cacatuoidea : cockatoos Superfamily Psittacoidea : true parrots Living species range in size from
5390-400: The tunes into his repertoire, and retained them after release into the park. Neville Fenton forwarded a tape of his recording to Norman Robinson . Because a lyrebird is able to carry two tunes at the same time, Robinson filtered out one of the tunes and put it on the phonograph for the purposes of analysis. One witness suggested that the song represents a modified version of two popular tunes in
5467-459: The ultraviolet spectrum, normally invisible to humans. Parrots are found on all tropical and subtropical continents and regions including Australia and Oceania , South Asia , Southeast Asia , Central America , South America , and Africa . Some Caribbean and Pacific islands are home to endemic species . By far the greatest number of parrot species come from Australasia and South America. The lories and lorikeets range from Sulawesi and
5544-443: The vibrant colours of so many parrots. Colourful feathers with high levels of psittacofulvin resist the feather-degrading bacterium Bacillus licheniformis better than white ones. Lorikeets were previously regarded as a third family, Loriidae, but are now considered a tribe ( Loriini ) within the subfamily Loriinae , family Psittaculidae. The two other tribes in the subfamily are the closely related fig parrots (two genera in
5621-582: The vicinity of the New England National Park . Similarly, in 1969, a park ranger, Neville Fenton, recorded a lyrebird song which resembled flute sounds in the New England National Park, near Dorrigo in northern coastal New South Wales. After much detective work by Fenton, it was discovered that in the 1930s, a flute player living on a farm adjoining the park used to play tunes near his pet lyrebird. The lyrebird adopted
5698-529: The wake of territorial conflicts between disparate songbird populations and may compel a female to prefer a male spouting a familiar song of the area. Sibley and Alquist divided songbirds into two " parvorders ", Corvida and Passerida (standard taxonomic practice would rank these as infraorders ), distributed in Australo-Papua and Eurasia respectively. Subsequent molecular studies, however, show this treatment to be somewhat erroneous. Passerida
5775-436: Was abandoned when the first chicks, which are altricial , were described. They were not classed with the passerines until a paper was published in 1840, twelve years after they were assigned a discrete family, Menuridae. Within that family they compose a single genus, Menura . It is generally accepted that the lyrebird family is most closely related to the scrub -birds ( Atrichornithidae ) and some authorities combine both in
5852-798: Was assigned to the Psittaciformes. However, the rather nondescript bone is not unequivocally psittaciform, and it may rather belong to the ibis genus Rhynchaeites , whose fossil legs were found in the same deposits. Several fairly complete skeletons of parrot-like birds have been found in England and Germany. These are probably not transitional fossils between ancestral and modern parrots, but rather lineages that evolved parallel to true parrots and cockatoos: The earliest records of modern parrots date to around 23–20 mya. The fossil record—mainly from Europe—consists of bones clearly recognisable as belonging to anatomically modern parrots. The Southern Hemisphere contains no known parrot-like remains earlier than
5929-495: Was the subject of much debate after the first specimens reached European scientists after 1798. Based on specimens sent from New South Wales to England, Major-General Thomas Davies illustrated and described this species as the superb lyrebird , which he called Menura superba , in an 1800 presentation to the Linnean Society of London , but this work was not published until 1802; in the intervening time period, however,
#883116