The genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 Poicephalus comprises nine species of parrot

Parrot

Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...

s native to various regions of the Afrotropic ecozone, including Sub-Saharan

Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa as a geographical term refers to the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. A political definition of Sub-Saharan Africa, instead, covers all African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...

 Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

, ranging from Senegal

Senegal

Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...

 in the west, Ethiopia

Ethiopia

Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...

 in the east, and to Cape Horn

Cape Horn

Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...

 in the south. Several of the species exist in slightly different forms (or subspecies).

They are stocky birds with short broad tails and relatively large heads and beaks for their size. (Poicephalus, from the Ancient Greek

Ancient Greek

Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...

, literally means made of head). Several of the species show marked sexual dimorphism

Sexual dimorphism

Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...

, where the adult male and female birds can be easily identified from variations in feather colouration, but in other species there is no sexual dimorphism or the differences are not so marked. They feed primarily on seeds, fruits, nuts, and leafy matter.

The Cape Parrot

Cape Parrot

The Cape Parrot or Levaillant's Parrot is a large, temperate forest dwelling Poicephalus parrot endemic to South Africa. It has 2 subspecies which may be considered distinct species, the savanna dwelling Brown-necked Parrot and Grey-headed Parrot The Cape Parrot (Poicephalus robustus) or...

 and Red-fronted Parrot form a superspecies complex.

The Senegal Parrot

Senegal Parrot

The Senegal Parrot is a Poicephalus parrot which is a resident breeder across a wide range of west Africa. It makes migrations within west Africa, according to the availability of the fruit, seeds and blossoms which make up its diet. It is considered a farm pest in Africa, often feeding on...

, Meyer's Parrot

Meyer's Parrot

The Meyer's Parrot is a small , stocky African parrot. Meyer's parrots display a dull brown head, back and tail, green or blue-green abdomen, blue rump and bright yellow markings on the carpal joint of the wings. Most subspecies have some yellow on the top of the head as well. Forshaw recognizes...

, Red-bellied Parrot

Red-bellied Parrot

The Red-bellied Parrot is a small African parrot about 23 cm long of the Poicephalus genus. It is a mostly greenish and grey parrot. Males have a bright orange belly and females have a greenish belly....

 and the Brown-headed Parrot

Brown-headed Parrot

The Brown-headed Parrot is a mostly green African parrot with a greyish-brown head and yellow under its wings. The adult birds have yellow irises and juvenile birds have brown irises....

 are popular as pet

Pet

A pet is a household animal kept for companionship and a person's enjoyment, as opposed to wild animals or to livestock, laboratory animals, working animals or sport animals, which are kept for economic or productive reasons. The most popular pets are noted for their loyal or playful...

s because they are easier to keep in apartments, being generally quieter and smaller, than most other companion parrot

Companion parrot

Companion parrot is a general term used for any parrot kept as a pet that interacts abundantly with its human counterpart. Generally, most species of parrot can make good companions....

s. Some Poicephalus parrot species are rare and not known or rare in captivity.

Taxonomy

• Senegal Parrot
  Senegal Parrot
  The Senegal Parrot is a Poicephalus parrot which is a resident breeder across a wide range of west Africa. It makes migrations within west Africa, according to the availability of the fruit, seeds and blossoms which make up its diet. It is considered a farm pest in Africa, often feeding on...
  
  , P. senegalus
• Meyer's Parrot
  Meyer's Parrot
  The Meyer's Parrot is a small , stocky African parrot. Meyer's parrots display a dull brown head, back and tail, green or blue-green abdomen, blue rump and bright yellow markings on the carpal joint of the wings. Most subspecies have some yellow on the top of the head as well. Forshaw recognizes...
  
  , P. meyeri
• Red-bellied Parrot
  Red-bellied Parrot
  The Red-bellied Parrot is a small African parrot about 23 cm long of the Poicephalus genus. It is a mostly greenish and grey parrot. Males have a bright orange belly and females have a greenish belly....
  
  , P. rufiventris
• Brown-headed Parrot
  Brown-headed Parrot
  The Brown-headed Parrot is a mostly green African parrot with a greyish-brown head and yellow under its wings. The adult birds have yellow irises and juvenile birds have brown irises....
  
  , P. cryptoxanthus
• Red-fronted Parrot, P. gulielmi
• Cape Parrot
  Cape Parrot
  The Cape Parrot or Levaillant's Parrot is a large, temperate forest dwelling Poicephalus parrot endemic to South Africa. It has 2 subspecies which may be considered distinct species, the savanna dwelling Brown-necked Parrot and Grey-headed Parrot The Cape Parrot (Poicephalus robustus) or...
  
  , P. robustus (two of the three subspecies of P. robustus have been proposed by certain taxonomists for separate species, P. fuscicollis, but this is not widely accepted.)
• Rüppell's Parrot, P. rueppellii
• Yellow-fronted Parrot
  Yellow-fronted Parrot
  The Yellow-fronted Parrot is endemic to the Ethiopian Highlands. It is a mostly green parrot with a yellow head. Relatively little is known about this bird.-Taxonomy:...
  
  , P. flavifrons
• Niam-niam Parrot
  Niam-niam Parrot
  The Niam-niam Parrot is a parrot endemic in Central Africa . It is a mostly green parrot with a brown head and a red iris. It lives in woodlands and is not known in captivity.-External links:...
  
  , P. crassus

Species

Species
Common and binomial names	Image	Description	Range
Senegal Parrot Senegal Parrot The Senegal Parrot is a Poicephalus parrot which is a resident breeder across a wide range of west Africa. It makes migrations within west Africa, according to the availability of the fruit, seeds and blossoms which make up its diet. It is considered a farm pest in Africa, often feeding on... (P. senegalus)		Grey head, green back and chest. Yellow, orange or red belly depending on subspecies.	Africa
Meyer's Parrot Meyer's Parrot The Meyer's Parrot is a small , stocky African parrot. Meyer's parrots display a dull brown head, back and tail, green or blue-green abdomen, blue rump and bright yellow markings on the carpal joint of the wings. Most subspecies have some yellow on the top of the head as well. Forshaw recognizes... (P. meyeri)		Green, yellow under wings. Six subspecies with variable yellow colouration.	Africa
Red-bellied Parrot Red-bellied Parrot The Red-bellied Parrot is a small African parrot about 23 cm long of the Poicephalus genus. It is a mostly greenish and grey parrot. Males have a bright orange belly and females have a greenish belly.... (P. rufiventris)		Mostly green and grey. Male has red belly.	Africa
Brown-headed Parrot Brown-headed Parrot The Brown-headed Parrot is a mostly green African parrot with a greyish-brown head and yellow under its wings. The adult birds have yellow irises and juvenile birds have brown irises.... (P. cryptoxanthus)		Mostly green and grey. Yellow under wings.	Africa
Red-fronted Parrot (P. gulielmi)		Mostly green, variable amount of red on head and shoulders depending on subspecies	Africa
Cape Parrot Cape Parrot The Cape Parrot or Levaillant's Parrot is a large, temperate forest dwelling Poicephalus parrot endemic to South Africa. It has 2 subspecies which may be considered distinct species, the savanna dwelling Brown-necked Parrot and Grey-headed Parrot The Cape Parrot (Poicephalus robustus) or... (P. robustus)		Mostly green, grey or brownish head and necks	Africa
Rüppell's Parrot (P. rueppellii)		Overall dark brown colour, head is dark greyish, yellow on legs and leading edge of wings, female has blue rump and lower back	Africa
Yellow-fronted Parrot Yellow-fronted Parrot The Yellow-fronted Parrot is endemic to the Ethiopian Highlands. It is a mostly green parrot with a yellow head. Relatively little is known about this bird.-Taxonomy:... (P. flavifrons)		Mostly green with a yellow head	Ethiopia Ethiopia Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
Niam-niam Parrot Niam-niam Parrot The Niam-niam Parrot is a parrot endemic in Central Africa . It is a mostly green parrot with a brown head and a red iris. It lives in woodlands and is not known in captivity.-External links:... (P. crassus)		Mostly green with a brown head	Africa