Parrot Fashion Trivia Quiz

Answer: African grey parrot

African grey parrots are native to west and central areas of Africa, particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Cote d'Ivoire and Cameroon. However, most people are likely to have come across this species in pet shops or the homes of friends and family, as they make excellent companions and are particularly intelligent and talkative pets - and if you do see one in an office environment, don't be surprised if it is capable of mimicking the phone or impersonating its owner.

On a serious note though, it is important that anyone keeping an African grey parrot ensures that they give it plenty of love, care and attention. These birds are highly likely to suffer distress if they become lonely or bored.

Specifically, the African grey parrot described here and shown in the picture clue is Psittacus erithacus, the Congo African grey parrot. The term 'African grey' is also used to describe the timneh African grey parrot, which can be distinguished from its better-known cousin by its smaller stature and darker grey plumage, maroon tail feathers and pinkish beak.

Answer: Blue-and-yellow macaw

Wearing two primary colours together is a bold (and often misguided) fashion choice. The blue-and-yellow macaw (also known as the blue-and-gold macaw) manages to pull off the look though - particularly when it is in full flight. Anyone looking up at a flying blue-and-yellow macaw would just see the striking yellow of its chest and the underside of its wings and tails, while an observer looking down would get a good view of the electric blue feathers of its back, head and the topside of its wings and tail. Macaws, which all come from the Americas and are therefore classified as New World parrots, are the largest flying species of parrots.

The bright colours of its plumage are not merely a fashion statement for this macaw. In particular, male birds have brighter and more colourful feathers during the breeding season in order to attract a mate (the first time round at least - since they mate for life) and signify their readiness to raise a family. Blue-and-yellow macaws tend to nest in palm trees in swampy areas and lay a clutch of two or three eggs. Unfortunately (for the majority of their offspring), in the wild they have a tendency to concentrate on feeding just the largest or most dominant chick - so only that one tends to survive to adulthood.

Answer: Major Mitchell's cockatoo

Major Mitchell's cockatoo is named after the 19th century Scottish army officer and explorer, Sir Thomas Livingstone Mitchell. Based on that name, the cockatoo being a beautiful bird with pale pink plumage seems almost as unlikely as it having either tartan feathers or feathers that give the impression of khaki camouflage patterns...

The bird is also known as the pink cockatoo (somewhat unimaginatively) or Leadbeater's cockatoo. It is found across most inland areas of Australia, although its numbers have declined as its preferred woodland habitats have been cleared. The males and females both look similar (the males are usually slightly bigger) and their pink appearance is topped off with an impressive crest of pink, yellow and red feathers.

Colonel Fitzwilliam is a character created by Jane Austen, Captain Corelli is better known for his mandolin (in a novel by Louis de Bernières) and Major-General Stanley is Gilbert and Sullivan's "model of a modern Major-General".

Answer: Yellow-faced parrotlet

Parrotlets are not the most likely candidates for a career in modelling as they are amongst the smallest members of the parrot family and are generally described as stocky with a short tail. In the wild, they are found in both Central and South America, but those that belong to the Forpus genus (including the yellow-faced parrotlet shown in the picture clue) are also bred in captivity and make popular family pets.

The yellow-faced parrotlet gets its name from the predominantly yellow feathers on its face, cheeks and forehead. The rest of their plumage is mostly green with a yellowish-green on the chest area and a darker shade on its upper back, wings and (short) tail. These birds also have a blue rump - bright blue for the males and a paler shade for the females.

None of the incorrect options, in this case, are genuine species of parrot.

Answer: Crimson rosella

Since the late 18th century, the names given to this bird include: Campbell parakeet, Pennant's parakeet, Pennantian parrot, beautiful lory, lowry, red lowry, mountain lowry, blue mountain lowry, mountain parrot, blue mountain parrot, red parrot and crimson rosella (and listing that lot in one go has made it sound suspiciously like I've just repeated them in true parrot fashion style). However, of all those options, it is usually known as the crimson rosella.

In the wild, the crimson rosella is mainly found in south-east Australia and Tasmania. They like all types of wooded areas - including those that are in close proximity to human habitation - and can usually be seen in small groups or pairs. Juvenile birds aged up to 16 months old, which can be distinguished by their greenish plumage, tend to flock together in larger groups after leaving their parents.

Answer: Varied lorikeet

The varied lorikeet lives up to its name as its plumage contains an array of different coloured feathers. Although predominantly green with yellow streaks, it also has red head feathers and some purplish/mauve feathers on its breast. It also has a distinctive white ring around its eyes, giving it its somewhat wide-eyed appearance.

Unless this bird stuck its tongue out on the way down the birdwalk (a practice not generally encouraged in aspiring models) then you would be hard-pushed to determine the reason why it is called a lorikeet rather than a parakeet. Both are small to medium sized members of the parrot family, but lorikeets (and lories) are noted for having a brush-tipped tongue that they use to eat their preferred diet of nectar and pollen. Lorikeets are generally differentiated from lories by the shape of their tail - if it is long, thin and tapered then it is normally called a lorikeet, whereas a bird with a short, stumpy tail would usually be known as a lory.

Answer: Scarlet macaw

You can't see it in the photograph of the scarlet macaw shown in the picture clue, but this striking bird has plumage that displays the full set of primary colours. In addition to its predominantly red plumage, it has blue and yellow wing feathers that create an impressively colourful show when the bird is in full flight.

The scarlet macaw is found across Central America and northern areas of South America, generally in subtropical rainforest or other wooded areas near watercourses. It is also the national bird of Honduras. It is another parrot species that is commonly found in captivity and as family pets. However, aspiring owners should note that these birds can get quite aggressive during the breeding season; a fact which perhaps explains the behaviour exhibited by the birdwalk model...

Answer: Australian king parrot

The Australian king parrot (Alisterus scapularis) is endemic to heavily wooded areas of eastern Australia. The males (as shown in the picture clue) have red head and breast feathers, while their back and wing feathers are green. In contrast, the females have predominantly green plumage, with a small amount of red around their legs and undersides.

The Alisterus genus consists of three separate species - the Australian king parrot, the Papuan king parrot (found on the Pacific island of New Guinea) and the Moluccan king parrot (endemic to various Indonesian islands). All three birds look fairly similar, but the Moluccan species can be differentiated by the patch of blue feathers on its neck and back and the fact that the females have identical plumage to the males.

Answer: Galah

These distinctive pink and grey feathered members of the parrot family are known by a wide variety of names including galah, galah cockatoo, rose-breasted cockatoo, roseate cockatoo or (the immensely imaginative) pink and grey. They are also one of the most common parrots in Australia and can be found almost anywhere on the continent, including urban areas where large flocks are often seen as pests. Like many other types of parrot, galahs mate for life - which can be quite a commitment as they have a life expectancy of around 20 years old in the wild and potentially up to around 80 years old in captivity.

In Australia, the term 'galah' is also used as derogatory slang for a fool or an idiot. There appears to be no formal consensus on why the name of this cute parrot has become synonymous with ineptitude or silliness - but the birds' playful and noisy antics might be one explanation.

Gulls, loons and coots are all species of water bird that do not belong to the parrot family!

Answer: Glossy black cockatoo

If this particular glossy black cockatoo was female, then you might be tempted to make an analogy between its plumage and the ubiquitous 'little black dress' that is a staple item in the wardrobe of many human females. However, if it was female then it wouldn't actually be 'wearing' black - as glossy black cockatoos are sexually dimorphic and the female birds are predominantly dark brown with patches of yellow (the males also have dark-brown head feathers). Needless to say, in the world of fashion brown and yellow doesn't tend to be as popular as black...

Glossy black cockatoos are found in woodland areas near the coast of eastern Australia, from Queensland in the north to Victoria in the south. In particular, they are found in areas containing trees belonging to the Allocasuarina species - better known as she-oaks - because they tend to be quite picky about their diet and almost exclusively feed on the seeds of these trees.