psittacea

Psittacea is a historical zoological term that has been used to denote the group of parrots within the class Aves. In some older classification schemes it referred to the clade containing modern parrots and their closest relatives. In contemporary ornithology the term Psittacea is largely obsolete, and the same birds are placed in the order Psittaciformes. The name Psittacea is derived from psittacus, the Latin word for parrot, or from the Greek psittakos.

Parrots are small to medium-sized birds characterized by a strong curved bill, a fleshy cere, a compact hooked tongue, and zygodactyl feet (two toes facing backward and two forward). They are highly vocal and often capable of mimicking sounds. They exhibit vivid plumage in many species and are typically social, forming strong pair bonds and flocking in the wild.

The Psittaciformes inhabit tropical and subtropical regions across the world, with major centers in the Americas, Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and Australasia. Diets include seeds, fruit, nectar, buds, and sometimes insects. Many species are popular as pets, and habitat loss and trade threaten several species.

In modern taxonomy, the order Psittaciformes is divided into several families, including Psittacidae (true parrots), Cacatuidae (cockatoos), Psittaculidae, and Strigopidae. Historical references to Psittacea reflect past attempts to classify parrots before consensus on the formal order-level name.

See also: Psittaciformes, Psittacidae, cockatoos.