We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Birds

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What Are the Different Types of Endangered Parrots?

By Nicole Etolen
Updated: Jun 04, 2024
Views: 7,507
Share

There are about 330 different types of parrots in the world, and of those, approximately 95 are on the endangered parrots list, although exact statistics vary from country to country. Some, like several different types of macaws, are critically endangered, meaning that they are on the verge of becoming extinct. Others, such as the Cuban Parrot, are not yet endangered, but if their numbers continue to dwindle, they will become so quickly.

There are numerous causes behind the growing trend of endangered parrots, including poaching, loss of land, and sickness. Poaching is one of the top concerns, because although many countries have outlawed importing parrots captured in the wild, poachers still continue to remove the birds from their natural habitat and sell them illegally. Loss of land is another major concern, as cutting down rainforests and jungles or building cities that encroach on parrots territory is causing the birds to lose their homes.

Several different types of macaws — including the Blue-throated, the Glaucous, and the Lear’s Macaw — are critically endangered parrots and on the verge of extinction in the wild. Some bird experts suspect that the Glaucous may already be extinct. Other macaws are on threatened or endangered, but not yet critically so. The brightly colored macaws are among the most commonly poached birds, which accounts for their dwindling numbers. They are also the largest parrots and suffer the most from decreasing habitat space.

The African Gray is also one of the most endangered parrots, although their numbers haven’t reached critical levels yet. Along with the macaw, the African Gray is one of the most popular parrot pets. Their popularity stems from the fact that they are one of the smartest parrots and the best mimickers of human speech. Some African Grays have been known to learn over 900 words, as well as voice prompts on when to appropriately use those words.

Other types of endangered parrots include several types of rare parakeets, the Philippines Cockatoo, and numerous types of South American parrots. It is difficult to determine the true number of endangered parrots because resources do not permit tracking every single bird. Some species on the endangered list may already be gone, while others may be increasing their numbers due to conservation efforts.

Those who want to purchase a pet parrot should go through reputable breeders and buy a bird that was born in captivity. Wild-caught parrots rarely become the affectionate pets that people often hope for when they buy a parrot. Purchasing a wild-caught parrot is not just illegal in many countries; it also encourages further poaching, which puts a large strain on the parrot’s population in the wild.

Share
All Things Nature is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Discussion Comments
By irontoenail — On Oct 15, 2014

@Mor - I wish that conservation efforts in other parts of the world were as successful. There are several parrot types which are probably going to go extinct because efforts have not been extensive enough in preserving them.

The additional problem is that they are often caught by poachers, which isn't something that New Zealand birds usually have to worry about. But rare parrots from South America and Africa are often in high demand with collectors.

By Mor — On Oct 15, 2014

@KoiwiGal - The kakapo is still probably one of the most endangered parrots in the world, but there is much more hope for them than there used to be. The trouble was that on top of the fact that there were very few sanctuaries left for them, they had very particular breeding habits and scientists took a while to understand how they worked.

But they've bred dozens of them in captivity now and hopefully the species is going to survive, in part because Richard Henry cared so much before anyone else bothered.

By KoiwiGal — On Oct 14, 2014

One of the most tragic stories I know comes from someone attempting to save an endangered parrot species. There's one in New Zealand called the kakapo that is unique for several reasons. It's huge for one thing and it is flightless and nocturnal as well.

Back about 100 years ago, it was becoming obvious that they were starting to become very rare and this man called Richard Henry spent much of his life capturing them and shipping them to an island where he hoped they would be safe from rats and cats and other imported predators.

When he finally thought he had completely eradicated these pests from the island and had stocked it full of some of the last remaining birds, they discovered a population of stoats. So Mr Henry died thinking that his efforts had been entirely in vain and that the birds would soon become extinct, something that has very nearly happened now.

Share
https://www.allthingsnature.org/what-are-the-different-types-of-endangered-parrots.htm
Copy this link
All Things Nature, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

All Things Nature, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.