Psittacinae

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Psittacinae

Alexandrine Parakeet
(Psittacula eupatria)

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Psittaciformes
Family:	Psittacidae
Subfamily:	Psittacinae

Tribes

see text

The Psittacinae (Latin psittacinus, from psittacus parrot, from Greek psittakosis^{[verification needed]}) a subfamily in the parrot family Psittacidae. It contains the "true" parrots, parakeets and macaws, but not the lories, lorikeets and cockatoos. The relationships between tribes are confusing and systematics are in need of thorough revision

Sometimes most tribes are raised to the rank of subfamilies but as the lories and lorikeets are a rather distinct group, the system used here seems at present still better to reflect the evolutionary relationships of these birds. It seems fairly certain by now that some lineages of psittacines will eventually be recognized as distinct subfamilies, and that perhaps the cockatoos would be considered a subfamily also, as some prehistoric families of Psittaciformes appear to be even more distinct than the cockatoos are.

If a multi-subfamily approach is preferred, the Psittacinae are restricted to the African parrots, possibly including some Asian (but not Australian) groups also.

Three monotypic (probably) genera from the Mascarenes, all extinct, are especially enigmatic in their relationships. They are geographically closest to the Psittacini, but probably belong to the Psittaculini and originated in South or Southwest Asia:

Mascarene Parrot, Mascarinus mascarinus
Broad-billed Parrot, Lophopsittacus mauritianus
Mauritius Grey Parrot, Lophopsittacus bensoni (disputed)
Rodrigues Parrot, Necropsittacus rodericanus

[edit] Tribes

Psittrichadini (Pesquet's Parrot)
Nestorini (Kea and relatives)
Strigopini (Kakapo)
Micropsittini (Pygmy parrots)
Cyclopsitticini (Fig parrots)
Platycercini (Broad-tailed parrots)
Psittaculini (Asian psittacines)
Psittacini (African parrots)
Arini (American psittacines) - polyphyletic?

[edit] Captive breeding

Psittaculture comes from The Psittacinae (Latin psittacinus, from psittacus parrot, from Greek psittakosis{check}}) It is one branch of the science of Aviculture

"Psittaculturist"{Parrot Breeder}person whom specializes in keeping and breeding and conserving psittacines species, also on preserving psittacines habitat, and public awareness campaigns to save parrots.

Psittaculture is a word that has been used in the Aviculture community since the early 1970s, to denote people whom specializes in keeping and breeding and conserving psittacines species, also on preserving psittacines habitat, and public awareness campaigns to save parrots.