Parrots, also known as psittacines (/ˈsɪtəsaɪnz/),[1][2] are birds of the roughly 398 species[3] in 92 genera comprising the order Psittaciformes (/ˈsɪtəsɪfɔːrmiːz/), found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions.
The order is subdivided into three superfamilies: the Psittacoidea ("true" parrots), the Cacatuoidea (cockatoos), and the Strigopoidea (New Zealand parrots).
One-third of all parrot species are threatened by extinction, with higher aggregate extinction risk (IUCN Red List Index) than any other comparable bird group.[4] Parrots have a generally pantropical distribution with several species inhabiting temperate regions in the Southern Hemisphere, as well.
The greatest diversity of parrots is in South America and Australasia.
