This is one of the three families of ‘true parrots and allies’, and is composed of five subfamilies, numerous tribes, and genera.
These birds can be found throughout Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, and the surrounding Oceania islands.
The subfamilies within this family include:
Subfamily Platycercinae, which include the ground parrots, their allies, and broad-tailed parrots and their allies. They can be found in Australia, New Zealand, and the surrounding island nations.
The two tribes that make up the subfamily are: Pezoporini (ground parrots and their allies) and Platycercini (broad-tailed parrots).
Subfamily Psittacellinae, these are the tiger parrots of New Guinea. They’re named for the tiger-like stripes on their back, and there is a single genus with four species.
Subfamily Loriinae, which is composed of three tribes. They are brightly colored small parrots that are found on the islands of Southeast Asia, and within Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, and the surrounding island nations).
The three tribes that make up the subfamily are: Loriini (lories and lorikeets), Melopsittachini (the Budgerigar, or common parakeet), and Cyclopsittini (the fig parrots).
Subfamily Agapornithinae, which consist of small, short-tailed parrots that are predominately green with different colors on the head. There are three genera within the subfamily with members being found within Africa and Asia. The three genera within the subfamily are Agapornis (lovebirds), Bolbopsittacus, and Loriculus.
Subfamily Psittaculinae, includes three tribes with several genera between them. The three tribes that make up this subfamily include: Polytelini (which includes three genera and eight species), Micropsittini (the pygmy parrots, which are the smallest of all parrot species and are native to the forest of New Guinea and nearby islands; these parrots also feed on fungi and lichens), and finally the tribe Psittaculini (while it has numerous genera, there is debate on the how many of members should be classified).
Since, I managed to get a picture of a member of the Psittaculini tribe, I decided I would list out the genera and species within that tribe (note–if I manage to get pictures of members of other tribes, I will come back and list out the rest of those members as well).
Tribe Psittauclini
- Genus Psittinus
- Blue-rumped parrot
- Simeulue parrot
- Genus Geffroyus
- Red-cheeked parrot
- Blue-collared parrot
- Song parrot
- Rennell parrot
- Genus Prioniturus
- Montane racket-tail
- Mindanao racket-tail
- Blue-headed racket-tail
- Green racket-tail
- Blue-crowned racket-tail
- Blue-winged racket-tail
- Yellow-breasted racket-tail
- Golden-mantled racket-tail
- Buru racket-tail
- Mindoro racket-tail
- Genus Tanygnathus
- Great-billed parrot
- Blue-naped parrot
- Blue-backed parrot
- Black-lored parrot
- Genus Eclectus
- Eclectus parrot
- Genus Psittacula
- Alexandrine parakeet
- Seychelles parakeet (Extinct)
- Rose-ringed (ring-neck) parakeet
- Echo parakeet
- Newton’s parakeet (Extinct)
- Slaty-headed parakeet
- Gray-headed parakeet
- Plum-headed parakeet
- Blossom-headed parakeet
- Blue-winged parakeet
- Layard’s parakeet
- Lord Derby’s parakeet
- Red-breasted parakeet
- Nicobar parakeet
- Long-tailed parakeet
- Mascarene gray parakeet
- Genus Lophopsittacus (Extinct)
- Broad-billed parrot (extinct)
- Genus Necropsittacus (Extinct)
- Rodrigues parrot (Extinct)
- Genus Masacarinus (Extinct)
- Mascarene parrot (Extinct)
Their diets can vary from seeds, fruits, and buds to pollen and nectar to insects, other invertebrates, and the occasional vertebrate prey.
A photography goal is to get pictures of members of different tribes and species in different countries. Though since a third of all parrots, parakeets, lories, lorikeets, macaws, and lovebirds are endangered–I may have to also be willing to settle on pictures of them in zoos (especially for the critically endangered species).
References include: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/psittaculinae; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/pygmy_parrot; https://en.wikipedia.org/agapornithinae; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/loriinae; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/tiger_parrot; and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/platycercinae