answersLogoWhite

0

In the wild, parrots find their food in trees, on the ground and along rocky faces - wherever their food source happens to be. Parrots are seed-eating birds, and essentially herbivorous, with many species also frugivorous (fruit-eating). Most eat fruits, and the nectar and pollen of flowering trees. They collect their food from trees and bushes which their uniquely shaped feet enable them to grip tightly, often swinging off branches and twigs to reach their food. Some birds such as rainbow lorikeets have rounded and slightly "furry" tongues specially designed to collect the nectar from native flowers. Parrots have strong curved beaks ideal for cracking hard shells of seeds and nuts, including gumnuts in Australia.

Some varieties of parrots are also insectivorous, feeding on small insects they find in the wild to help supplement their protein intake. The kea of New Zealand is notable for eating meat, tearing open carcasses to fed on meat and internal organs when their usual diet of nuts, fruits and seeds becomes scarce in the winter months. Parrots also need grit and sometimes clay to help with digestion.

User Avatar

Wiki User

11y ago

What else can I help you with?