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Psittacidae of South America
General characteristics of the Psittacidae family
Parrots are classified as animals of the bird class, order Psittaciformes. They live in the world's tropical zone, from where they spread out to the subtropical and even cooler areas, such as Patagonia. As it is an old family, it is hard to study its phylogeny: some fossils are from the Tertiary (Miocene, 25 million years), in France and the USA and others from the Pleistocene (20,000 years) in Brazil (Lagoa Santa, Minas Gerais). Brazil is the wealthiest country in the world in terms of the Psittacidae, with most examples of the macaws. This wealth had already been mentioned in a map from as early as 1500 in which Brazil is called the "Land of the Parrots" (Brasilia sive terra papagallorum).
Characteristics: strong narrow beak with sharp edges and curved at the tip, with soft cere often with feathers; upper mobile jaw in the front bone of the cranium; feet adapted to grasp with two claws forwards and two backwards; glossy green, blue, yellow or red plumage; long strong wings; bare peri-ophthalmic region varying in size; male and female parrots generally similar; strong voice; very gregarious.
Food: their staple diet ranges from seeds to fruit pulp. They are attracted by fruit trees, such as the mango, jabuticaba, guava, papaya and coconuts of many palm trees, such as the murity, tucum (spiny club palm), bocayuva, carnauba and bacury. Some species eat sprouts, flowers, tender leaves, including those of the eucalyptus. Others find their food in corn fields, banana groves, coffee and cacao plantations, rice fields and pasture land.
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