Parrots of the Wild : A Natural History of the World's Most Captivating Birds

**"__Parrots of the Wild__ is an exhaustive compendium of information about parrots, from their evolutionary history to their behavior to present-day conservation issues. A must-have for anyone interested in these amazing creatures." —Irene M. Pepperberg, Professor at Harvard University and author of __Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence—and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process__ "If you like parrots then you'll love this book. From their evolutionary past to their modern-day love lives, __Parrots of the Wild__ presents a suitably captivating read. I thought I knew a lot about parrots--until I delved into these pages." —Tony Juniper, author of __What Has Nature Ever Done for Us?__ and __Spix’s Macaw: The Race to Save the World’s Rarest Bird__** __Parrots of the Wild__ explores recent scientific discoveries and what they reveal about the lives of wild parrots, which are among the most intelligent and rarest of birds. Catherine A. Toft and Tim Wright discuss the evolutionary history of parrots and how this history affects perceptual and cognitive abilities, diet and foraging patterns, and mating and social behavior. The authors also discuss conservation status and the various ways different populations are adapting to a world that is rapidly changing. The book focuses on general patterns across the 350-odd species of parrots, as well as what can be learned from interesting exceptions to these generalities. A synthetic account of the diversity and ecology of wild parrots, this book distills knowledge from the authors’ own research and from their review of more than 2,400 published scientific studies. The book is enhanced by an array of illustrations, including nearly ninety color photos of wild parrots represented in their natural habitats. __Parrots of the Wild__ melds scientific exploration with features directed at the parrot enthusiast to inform and delight a broad audience. "Parrots of the Wild is an exhaustive compendium of information about parrots, from their evolutionary history to their behavior to present-day conservation issues. A must-have for anyone interested in these amazing creatures." —Irene M. Pepperberg, Professor at Harvard University and author of Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence—and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process

"If you like parrots then you'll love this book. From their evolutionary past to their modern-day love lives, Parrots of the Wild presents a suitably captivating read. I thought I knew a lot about parrots--until I delved into these pages." —Tony Juniper, author of What Has Nature Ever Done for Us? and Spix’s Macaw: The Race to Save the World’s Rarest Bird

Parrots of the Wild explores recent scientific discoveries and what they reveal about the lives of wild parrots, which are among the most intelligent and rarest of birds. Catherine A. Toft and Tim Wright discuss the evolutionary history of parrots and how this history affects perceptual and cognitive abilities, diet and foraging patterns, and mating and social behavior. The authors also discuss conservation status and the various ways different populations are adapting to a world that is rapidly changing. The book focuses on general patterns across the 350-odd species of parrots, as well as what can be learned from interesting exceptions to these generalities.

A synthetic account of the diversity and ecology of wild parrots, this book distills knowledge from the authors’ own research and from their review of more than 2,400 published scientific studies. The book is enhanced by an array of illustrations, including nearly ninety color photos of wild parrots represented in their natural habitats. Parrots of the Wild melds scientific exploration with features directed at the parrot enthusiast to inform and delight a broad audience. " Parrots of the Wild is an exhaustive compendium of information about parrots, from their evolutionary history to their behavior to present-day conservation issues. A must-have for anyone interested in these amazing creatures." —Irene M. Pepperberg, Professor at Harvard University and author of Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence—and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process "If you like parrots then you'll love this book. From their evolutionary past to their modern-day love lives, Parrots of the Wild presents a suitably captivating read. I thought I knew a lot about parrots—until I delved into these pages." —Tony Juniper, author of What Has Nature Ever Done for Us? and Spix's Macaw: The Race to Save the World's Rarest Bird Parrots of the Wild explores recent scientific discoveries and what they reveal about the lives of wild parrots, which are among the most intelligent and rarest of birds. Catherine A. Toft and Tim Wright discuss the evolutionary history of parrots and how this history affects perceptual and cognitive abilities, diet and foraging patterns, and mating and social behavior. The authors also discuss conservation status and the various ways different populations are adapting to a world that is rapidly changing. The book focuses on general patterns across the 350-odd species of parrots, as well as what can be learned from interesting exceptions to these generalities. A synthetic account of the diversity and ecology of wild parrots, this book distills knowledge from the authors' own research and from their review of more than 2,400 published scientific studies. The book is enhanced by an array of illustrations, including nearly ninety color photos of wild parrots represented in their natural habitats. Parrots of the Wild melds scientific exploration with features directed at the parrot enthusiast to inform and delight a broad audience. Part I. The World of Parrots : Introducing the Psittaciformes. 1. What are the parrots and where did they come from? : the evolutionary history of the parrots : phylogeny Part II. The Functional Parrot : Physiology, Morphology and Behavior. 2. The thriving parrot : the foods and beaks of parrots : foraging ecology ; 3. The sensible parrot : how parrots perceive and use information : sensory biology and communication ; 4. The thinking parrot : the brains of parrots and how they use them : cognitive ethology Part III. The Lives of Parrots : Mating, Life History, and Populations. 5. Sex and marriage : the mating systems of parrots : behavioral ecology ; 6. From the cradle to the grave : the life histories of parrots : evolutionary ecology ; 7. Populations of parrots : conservation and invasion biology : population ecology Epilogue: Themes and threads uniting the chapters of this book. Foreword by James D. Gilardi Preface and Acknowledgments PART I: The World of Parrots: Introducing the Psittaciformes 1. What Are the Parrots and Where Did They Come From? The Evolutionary History of the Parrots PART II: The Functional Parrot: Physiology, Morphology, and Behavior 2. The Thriving Parrot: The Foods and Beaks of Parrots 3. The Sensible Parrot: How Parrots Perceive and Use Information 4. The Thinking Parrot: The Brains of Parrots and How They Use Them PART III: The Lives of Parrots: Mating, Life History, and Populations 5. Sex and Marriage: The Mating Systems of Parrots 6. From the Cradle to the Grave: The Life History of Parrots 7. Populations of Parrots: Conservation and Invasion Biology Epilogue: Themes and Threads Uniting the Chapters of This Book Notes Bibliography Index Cover; Contents; Foreword; Preface and Acknowledgments; PART I: The World of Parrots: Introducing the Psittaciformes; 1 What Are the Parrots and Where Did They Come From? The Evolutionary History of the Parrots; The Marvelous Diversity of Parrots; Reconstructing Evolutionary History; The Evolution of Parrots; Some Parrot Enigmas; PART II: The Functional Parrot: Physiology, Morphology, and Behavior; 2 The Thriving Parrot: The Foods and Beaks of Parrots; Introduction to the Diets of Parrots; The Seed Eaters; Other Diets; 3 The Sensible Parrot: How Parrots Perceive and Use Information Introduction to Sensory BiologyVisual Communication; Vocal Communication; 4 The Thinking Parrot: The Brains of Parrots and How They Use Them; Introduction to the Study of Learning and Cognition; The Brains of Birds; Cognition in Parrots; Mental Distress in Captive Parrots; PART III: The Lives of Parrots: Mating, Life History, and Populations; 5 Sex and Marriage: The Mating Systems of Parrots; Introduction to Mating Systems and How They Evolve; Monogamy; Other Mating Systems; 6 From the Cradle to the Grave: The Life Histories of Parrots; Introduction to the Study of Life Histories "A synthetic account of the diversity and ecology of wild parrots, distilling knowledge from the author's own research and from her review of more than 2,400 published scientific studies. The text covers parrots' evolutionary history, foraging, mating, and social behavior, innate intelligence, and conservation status. The book is enhanced by an array of illustrations, including photos of parrots taken exclusively in their natural habitat"--Provided by publisher. "A synthetic account of the diversity and ecology of wild parrots, distilling knowledge from the author's own research and from her review of more than 2,400 published scientific studies. The text covers parrots' evolutionary history, foraging, mating, and social behavior, innate intelligence, and conservation status. The book is enhanced by an array of illustrations, including photos of parrots taken exclusively in their natural habitat"-- Provided by publisher Life in the Nest HollowLife out in the World; 7 Populations of Parrots: Conservation and Invasion Biology; Introduction to Conservation Biology; Parrots in Peril; Parrots as Invasive Species; Epilogue: Themes and Threads Uniting the Chapters of This Book; Parrots as the Most Human of Birds; The Future of Wild Parrots; Notes; Bibliography; Index; A; B; C; D; E; F; G; H; I; J; K; L; M; N; O; P; R; S; T; V; W; Y