This lifeform is found north of the Equator in the New World tropics. This lifeform is common in suitable environments.

Black headed parrot (Pionites melanocephala) is found from Colombia east through Venezuela to the Guianas, south from Colombia to Peru, and south from the Guianas throughout much of the Brazil Amazon Basin.

Parrots (Family) is the single family in the Parrot order. This family has experienced quite a few fairly recent extinctions, including the Carolina Parakeet and several species that were previously found on the Caribbean Islands. The 128 species of parrots in the New World are particularly threatened.

Many of the species in this family are desirable cage birds, which adds to their vulnerability in their native habitat. For example, a captured Hyacinth Macaw may sell for over $20,000 retail. While most of the species are protected, the various laws seem to have little effect on the trade. However, captive breeding may help protect them.  

Extensive rain forest clearing and bird capture for the pet trade remain important issues.

The following (incomplete) list of New World species are rare, threatened, endangered or extinct:

Threatened    Puerto Rican Amazon       Amazona vittata
Rare          Red spectacled Amazon     Amazona pretrei
Threatened    Red Tailed Amazon         Amazona brasiliensis
Rare          Red browed Amazon         Amazona rhodocorytha
Endangered    St. Lucia Amazon          Amazona versicolor
Endangered    Red Necked Amazon         Amazona arausiaca
Endangered    Imperial Amazon           Amazona imperialis
Endangered    St. Vincent Amazon        Amazona guildingi
Endangered    Indigo Macaw              Anodorhynchus leari
Endangered    Hyacinth Macaw            Anodorhy hyacinth
Extinct       Glaucus Macaw             Anodorhy glaucus
Extinct(?)    Blue Throated Macaw       Ara glaucogularis
Extinct       Cuban Red Macaw           Ara tricolor
Vulnerable    Golden Conura             Aratinga guarouba
Unknown       Rufous fronted Parakeet   Bolborhynch ferrugin
Extinct       Carolina Parakeet         Conurposis carolinensis
Endangered    Little Blue Macaw         Cyanopsitta spixii
Unknown       Rusty Faced Parrot        Hapalopsittaca amazonina
Threatened    Golden Plumed Conura      Leptositt branickii
Vulnerable    Yellow Eared Conura       Ognorhynchus icterotis
Rare          Blue Chested Parakeet     Pyrrhura cruentata
Rare          Brown Backed Parrotlet    Touit melanonota
Unknown       Golden tailed Parrotlet   Touit surda

Parrots (Order Psittaciformes) are an order of over 300 species of birds that are found in the warmer parts of the world. Many of the species are brightly colored. Characteristics of this order include a top bill which hooks downward, and two toes pointing forward and two toes pointing to the rear. Most students place all the species in this order in a single family.

Aves contains about 8,650 different species of living birds known to science. Each year about one new species is discovered in some remote rain forest or remote island. In addition, scientists have been raising many subspecies to full species status which may raise the species count to 10,000.

However, each year about one species goes extinct. The rate of extinction is increasing, and the rate of new discovery is decreasing, so that the number of bird species will soon begin to decline rapidly. Although different taxonomists would organize the birds differently, there are approximately twenty-seven orders of birds. These orders are broken down into about one hundred and fifty-five different families.

Recent research of the genetic structure of some of the shore birds and owls would indicate that the present organization of orders and families should have some modification.

The birds are a worldwide group of animals that are characterized by having the front limbs modified into wings that are used for flying. Perhaps the most unique feature of the birds is the feathers. These feathers are made up of a central support called a quill and a series of small filaments that are hooked together as barbs.

For many years it was believed that Archaeopteryx discovered in Bavaria was the oldest bird from about 150 million years ago.  However, in l986, Sankar Chattterjee, a Texas paleontologist, reportedly discovered a bird in the genus Protoavis that lived about 225 million years ago.

Backboned Animals (Phylum Chordata) are the most advanced group of animals on earth. These animals are characterized by having a spinal cord or backbone. Most members have a clearly defined brain that controls the organism through a spinal cord. Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are in this phylum.

Currently, some taxonomists believe that the fish should be divided into two groups (sharks and regular fishes) and that there are some other primitive groups in the phylum such as hagfish or lampreys.

Animal Kingdom contains numerous organisms that feed on other animals or plants. Included in the animal kingdom are the lower marine invertebrates such as sponges and corals, the jointed legged animals such as insects and spiders, and the backboned animals such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.