Head and beak colors vary from horn colored to black. The main differences between the species are colors on the head and the size of the bird. In addition to those six species shown, other species of Amazona may occasionally be sighted. Hybrids have also been reported.

The name 'Psittaciformes' comes from the ancient Greek for parrot, ψιττακός ('Psittacus'), whose origin is unclear. Ctesias (5th century BCE) recorded the name Psittacus after the Indian name for a bird, most likely a parakeet (now placed in the genus Psittacula).

Alex the African Grey is the most famous parrot of them all. He was the subject of a 30 year study to understand how intelligent parrots could be, and his name was short for Avian Language Experiment. He was trained by his owner Dr Pepperberg, an animal psychologist to understand shapes, colour and basic vocabulary.

Cockatiel. The cockatiel's lutino mutation is one of the most recognizable. Lutino cockatiels vary in shade from a pale yellow to a darker, egg-yolk tone. They display the common bright orange patches on their cheeks, and most have a bright yellow head crest.