Parrots and Lorikeets

(Family Psittacidae)

A large family, with 43 species recorded in Australia, including the extinct Paradise Parrot Psephotellus pulcherrimus, which is the only mainland species of bird to have become extinct since European settlement. Thirty-six of the remaining 42 species are endemic to Australia. Some are widespread in the country, while others have very restricted distributions. The lorikeets have a brush-tipped tongue, while the remainder have a thick, scaly tongue.