- Pigeons proved to be immensely helpful during wars. They were often used to send messages. In fact, it is said that hundreds of lives were saved because of their mail services.
- They were employed by sinking ships to relay SOS signals.
- Their eyesight is superb. They have even been able to find people from sinking or destroyed ships in the water, because of their ability to perceive ultraviolet light.
- They might have been the earliest domesticated birds by humans, and were depicted in Mesopotamian artwork from 4500 BCE.
- Pigeon racing was quite popular for a while, and still happens today! These birds can fly fast enough to give spectators an entertaining race.
- Pigeons do well in urban areas because they like stone and concrete.
- In New York City alone, there can be more than a million pigeons.
- The majority of bird-owning families have an average of 2.46 birds.
- In the past year, almost 60% of bird owners reported spending more money on Polly.
- Five out of ten bird owners said their pets were fed a particular diet. By contrast, only about 10% of cats and dogs that live as companions are. Additionally, owners of birds were more likely to give their pets vitamins.
- A few parrots use tools. Research at the Universities of York and St Andrews observed Greater Vasa parrots grinding cockleshells with pebbles and pit dates.
- Parrots comprise the psittacine order.
- Because of their bent beaks, parrots are also called hookbills.
- They can be a bit extra. Polly has been known to sing, dance, curse, and imitate car alarms and cell phones.
- Parrots are zygodactyls. Like most other birds, they have four toes on each foot. The toes on parrots’ feet are a little odd, though; they have two pointing frontward and two pointing backward.
- Roughly one-third of the world’s parrot species face extinction.
- Up to 99 percent of Ghana’s native African grey parrot population has been decimated by logging.
- They are quite smart. In fact, an African grey parrot by the name of Alex was said to have an IQ equivalent to a five year old human. The last thing he said to his owner was “You be good. I love you.”
- Many parrots talk! This isn’t guaranteed, but several of our winged falls can speak. Some of the birds that have this capacity include the African Grey, Budgerigar, Amazon Parrot, Indian Ringneck Parakeet, Quaker Parrot, and Eclectus.
- Those beaks can crack even the toughest nuts on the planet.
- The little Pygmy parrot is the smallest parrot. Measuring barely 3 inches in length, these adorable birds consume mushrooms, instead of insects.
- They can have a longer lifespan than people. Larger parrots, like Macaws, may live for 100 years or more. (It’s important to consider this before adopting one.)
- In an experiment, researchers from MIT, the University of Glasgow, and Northeastern University trained parrots to talk to each other via video chat. The majority of the birds appeared to enjoy the Zoom sessions!
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