ABSTRACT
Parrots are highly sought-after birds for zoos and aquariums (hereafter “zoos”) due to their often-bright colours, high intelligence, and interactive potential with guests. More than 45% of all species are considered near threatened and of conservation concern, with many of these species held in ex situ populations. Parrots have a wide range of unique behavioural and physiological adaptations, making them ideal birds for the exhibit and education goals of a zoo. Key information on the behavioural traits of these birds from the wild should ideally be used to inform husbandry and management practices. Parrots are unique in that they are highly intelligent compared to most birds, making their needs more complex and more difficult to understand potentially than other groups. This chapter covers many key behavioural adaptations and considerations of representative species of parrots to show how pairing wild behavioural information with management can improve the welfare and sustainability of populations.
