parrot

Health & Safety
Environment
National

How parrot plumage gets its dazzling reds and yellows

2:01pm October 31, 2024

Parrots are unique among birds in how they produce the pigmentation that makes their vibrant feathering. It turns out a single enzyme calibrates the reds and yellows of a parrot’s brilliance.

Queue Listen Now

A researcher in South Texas is trying to understand what male and female red-crowned parrots communicate to each other. The species is beloved in the Rio Grande Valley, but endangered.

National

This prized parrot is in peril from pet poachers

9:00am December 03, 2021

by John Burnett

The beloved Red-Crowned Parrot, the official bird of Brownsville, Texas, and one of two native parrots in the U.S., faces threats from people stealing nestlings to sell into the pet trade.

Queue Listen Now

An artist's illustration of the giant parrot with a New Zealand wren for comparison.

Science

Scientists Discover Prehistoric Giant 'Squawkzilla' Parrot, As Big As Small Child

8:28pm August 07, 2019

by Vanessa Romo

The flightless bird weighed 15 pounds, was about 3 feet tall and probably feasted on other parrots. Study lead Trevor Worthy made the discovery after examining two 19 million-year-old leg bones.