Article From SubmitYOURArticle.com: What Does a Parrot Look Like?

Copyright (c) 2010 Kaye Dennan

There are a number of different physical traits
that are special to a parrot. Parrot lovers will
know many of these traits but let's have a look
at what you will recognize in a parrot. When a
person knows all about a parrot's features it
will be much easier to give it the parrot care
that it needs.

Parrots belong to a family called Psittacidae,
otherwise identified as climbing birds. Within
this large, extended family are different
branches, including the parrot proper as one
branch is referred to: Cockatoos, Macaws, Lories
and Parakeets.

One amusing feature of a parrot is the way that
it tips its head to the side to look at different
things. To watch a parrot do this is quite
fascinating.

Each member of the parrot family has a tongue.
The tongue is soft, thick and fleshy and it's
really quite mobile. In the parrot, the tongue
is actually one of the sensory organs, much like
it is for us. The parrot not only tastes with
its tongue but also touches and swallows with it.
And each member of the parrot family possesses a
complex larynx that has three distinct muscles.
And this not only helps to distinguish them as
parrots but it allows them to "parrot" us humans
quite well.

And, of course, each parrot has a beak and make
no mistake about it b because you don't want to
get a nip from an angry parrot. Their beaks are
large, thick, hard and fairly solid. The beak is
also a very valuable tool he uses in climbing and
walking.

His eyes are on either side of his head. Because
of this he cannot focus on objects held close to
hime without turning his head to one side. It's
that little cock of his head that makes the
parrot so delightfully cute - and at the same
time makes him look so intelligent as if he is
querying what he is looking at.

The eyes of a parrot are formed quite differently
than ours. The upper and lower lids of his eyes
form a single rounded continuous eye lid for his
eyeball. You will notice that he seldom winks
like you or I do because he doesn't need to. The
parrot possesses the power to contract his pupil
at will, independent of the presence of light or
dark.

He changes his iris most notably when he is angry
or experiencing any other unusual strong emotion.
As the bird ages the color of his iris deepens.

The ears of a parrot are small, oval openings
which are located right above their eyes. You
can't see them very easily because they are
covered by feathers, and they're placed beyond
the border of the cere - or wrinkled skin around
the eye.

Generally these colorful birds have short wings
but some varieties of the Macaw are the exception
to this rule. They have long wings covered with
long feathers.

The body of the parrot looks quite bulky and with
their short legs they appear to have difficulty
in walking around.

Parrot tail feathers differ widely in length,
some short and stubby and on other parrots they
are long and elegant. Most parrots have 12 tail
feathers.

This beautiful creature has short legs with four
toes, two facing forwards and two going
backwards. But these toes are one of his most
prized possessions. The set up of their toes
gives them the ability to climb sturdily and
steadily. When he walks he has a waddling gait.

Another feature of the parrot's toes is that he
uses then when eating. He uses them much like
fingers holding his food firmly with the toes of
one of his feet and placing the food in his
mouth. The second foot is then used to balance
him while eating. The legs are muscular and are
covered with strong scales. This helps him to
hang on to a perch without much thought and very
little effort. Aided by its strong hooked claws
he can easily perch on branches and keep his
balance.

Knowing all about a parrot's features makes it
much easier to distinguish between a parrot and
other bird species.

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For much more information on all types of parrots
and parrot care at the following website
http://petparrotsecrets.com where they can also
sign up to my FREE '10 Secrets to Caring for a
Pet Parrot' mini-course.

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