What is a Group of Parrots Called? (Complete List + Why?)

Parrots are common, colorful inhabitants of most of the world’s tropical and subtropical rainforests. There are around 387 species of parrots and counting – we may not have found and identified some extremely rare parrots that live in remote rainforests. Parrots are usually eye-catching for their colorful feathers and are often seen foraging together in groups, so what is a group of parrots called?

The most common collective nouns for flocks of parrots are pandemonium, flock, and company of parrots. Pandemonium – that’s a great word – really stands out here. Flocks of parrots are often loud, confused and manic – especially juveniles – so they may be called chaotic.

Flock is a more traditional term, while company probably refers to the parrot’s colorful plumage, somewhat similar to a parade or company.

Read on to discover more about parrot societies and collective terms for other groups of parrots.

A flock of rainbow lorikeets (Trichoglossus moluccanus)

Other terms for a flock of parrots

• a pair of parrots
• parrot chatter

As we can see, a chaotic, flock of parrots almost covers it.

• A pair of parrots is pretty self-explanatory – parrots usually form strong monogamous bonds and spend most of their lives in pairs.
• To chatter means to talk stupidly — or in a silly way — and that’s what many parrots make when they’re chatting with each other.

A small flock of Scarlet Macaws (Ara macao) in flight

Do parrots gather in flocks?

Parrots do congregate in flocks. Parrots engage in a wide range of flocking behaviors, at least for the purposes of foraging, travel and roosting.

Parrots are generally gregarious, with few exceptions. The solitary kakapo of New Zealand is one of the most famous examples. While parrots are considered friendly by many, there are exceptions here, as many species are very territorial during the breeding season.

Some parakeets, including golden, New Caledonian, horned and monk parakeets, as well as white-bellied kecks, also engage in some cooperative nesting behavior, which means They form nests together in small flocks.

Most parrots form monospecies flocks, while others form mixed flocks, such as Amazon parrots, conures, and macaws.

A large flock of white-eyed parrots (Psittacara leucophthalmus)

Why do parrots flock together?

Parrots often flock together as their preferred tropical environment confines them to the same areaClumping together also provides security in numbers, provides protection from predators, and also allows birds to share warmth while roosting at night.

Parrots are generally very sociable and they are often observed to communicate eagerly among flocks of 20 or more birds. Parrot society is extremely complex, and its complexity may in part explain why parrots are so smart. Parrots have very large brains for their size and are among the smartest animals on Earth. Some parrots, such as gray parrots, can even associate complex meanings with human words, and many parrots are capable of abstract or complex thinking.

In parrots, intelligence may be related to sociability. Parrots learn that they survive better if they stick together, but they also enjoy interacting with each other in a similar way to other highly intelligent animals, including other birds, apes, dolphins, elephants, and of course humans. socialize. They derive value beyond survival from their social interactions—you could even say they socialize purely for fun.

This is of course not to say that solitary animals are not intelligent, but parrots’ intelligence helps facilitate their complex social lives.

A flock of red-breasted parrots (Psittacula alexandri) in flight

When do parrots gather in groups?

Parrots flock in groups all year round. Few parrots migrate, so they do not flock together for migration. Instead, parrots mainly gather together to feed and roost. Parrots still travel in flocks from place to place and you can occasionally see large flocks of colorful flying macaws, parakeets, lorikeets or other parrots.

Parrots also congregate when roosting; yellow-shouldered lorikeets form large communal treetop roosts for hundreds of birds, huddling together at night for warmth. The same is true for many other Amazon parrots, which roost together and form clumping nests.

Many parrots come in flocks to feed, including parakeets, macaws and cockatoos. Cockatoos are often seen in towns and suburbs. Thousands of white cockatoos famously mobbed the Australian town of Nowra, congregating daily to ransack litter boxes, climb onto rooftop roosts and generally cause trouble – or you could say chaos!

Yellow-shouldered parrot (Amazona barbadensis) roosting with hundreds of birds

How many parrots are there in a flock?

Parrot flocks can range from a few parrots to hundreds or even thousands of birds. The flocks of white cockatoos described above can easily number in the thousands. Other parrots form smaller flocks, such as African Grays, which tend to congregate in small flocks of 20 or so.

Amazon parrots in the Antilles or other smaller Caribbean islands also often form smaller flocks, and some species are very solitary. It really matters – the rainforest habitats of most parrots are extremely dense, and many species live in close proximity, making group living somewhat necessary.

A pair of African gray parrots (Psittacus erithacus) in flight

Do parrot families stay together?

Parrot parents are very attentive, and both males and females usually put a lot of thought into raising their young. For some species of parrots, such as greater cockatoos and macaws, parental care for more than 1 year is slightly above average.

Afterwards, fully grown offspring may join local flocks to find mates and establish their own territories.

With the exception of about 20 species of parrots, parrot families generally do not cooperate in raising chicks like other sociable birds of similar intelligence, such as crows.

Family of red macaws flying through the forest

Do parrots reproduce cooperatively?

The highly sociable nature of parrots is somewhat paradoxical, as they rarely reproduce cooperatively and tend to be highly territorial when mating. Parrots such as green-rumped macaws, scarlet macaws, green-winged macaws, blue macaws, and hyacinth macaws, as well as many species of Amazon parrots, tend to withdraw from social life during breeding periods.

This is not uncommon among all birds, but other similarly sociable birds do often cooperate to breed, such as cuckoos, crows and ostriches.

Cooperative breeding means the birds share territories and nests while breeding and raising chicks, while also potentially helping each other build nests and forage for their offspring, among other things.

There are some exceptions though; white-bellied galleons, dark-headed conures, and several species of parakeets have all been observed to possibly participate in cooperative breeding.

Black-headed parakeet (Aratinga weddellii), possibly observed through cooperative breeding

What is a pair of parrots called?

There is no specific term for a pair of parrots, instead they are simply referred to as a pair of parrots.

Parrots are generally monogamous, with the exception of very few species, including the polygamous Eclectic parrots and Vasa parrots.

Parrot monogamy means that parrots form lifelong mates, and considering that many parrots live for over 50 years, some of these relationships may even last longer (or longer) than human marriages!

Mating and reproduction in parrots is complex due to the variety of courtship rituals, although most species have simple and gentle courtship rituals rather than the ornate rituals of some neighboring tropical birds. Research sheds light on the complexities of parrot relationships, showing they’re especially fair — or fair — when they share with their mates.

A breeding pair of ring-necked parakeets (Psittacula krameri) at their nesting site in London, UK

What is a group of parrots called?

A group of small parrots has no clear name.

Baby parrots will stay for two months to a year under the close care and care of their parents. During that time, they may develop friendships with other parrot juveniles in the vicinity, some of which may last a long time in some Amazonian parrot species.

Young parrots are often noisy, clumsy and confused. You could argue that baby parrots are more likely to form confusion than adults!