Exotic Birds

Parrots – A Celebration of Colour, Culture & Conservation

Parrots are among the most beloved bird species in the world, admired by people of all ages for their beauty, charm, and intelligence. Frequently featured in folklore, literature, poetry, and traditional arts, parrots have long symbolized love, creativity, and vivid expression. Known for their bright plumage, curved beaks, and zygodactyl feet (two toes forward and two backward), parrots form a diverse order of more than 350 species, including macaws, Amazons, lorikeets, cockatoos, parakeets, and lovebirds.

Found largely in tropical regions—especially Australia, Central America, and South America—parrots thrive on a varied diet of fruits, flowers, nuts, seeds, and insects. Their impressive ability to mimic sounds, including human speech, and their colorful personalities make many parrot species popular pets.

The Department of Posts celebrates this vibrant avian group through the release of a set of six commemorative stamps, each featuring an exotic and often endangered parrot species from around the world.

1. Cape Parrot (Poicephalus robustus)

The Forest Guardian of South Africa

• Found only in the Afromontane Southern Mistbelt Forests of South Africa, the Cape Parrot depends heavily on yellowwood trees for nesting and shelter.
• Taxonomic debates continue, but BirdLife International treats it as a single species with three subspecies.
• Its population faces serious decline due to habitat loss, Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease (PBFD), and illegal poaching.
• Recognized by its large beak, dark plumage, and rich brown-reddish tones, the Cape Parrot is a symbol of forest conservation in Africa.

2. Hyacinth Macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus)

The Gentle Giant

• The largest flying parrot in the world, the Hyacinth Macaw is native to central and eastern South America.
• Known for its striking cobalt-blue plumage and long tail, it is affectionately called the “Gentle Giant.”
• Prefers palm swamps, open woodlands, and savannas, often nesting in tree cavities.
• Severe threats from habitat loss and illegal pet trade have resulted in its classification as Vulnerable under IUCN and listed in CITES Appendix I.

3. Lesser Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea sulphurea)

A Vanishing Icon of Indonesia

• Also known as the Yellow-crested Cockatoo, this species inhabits East Timor, the Indonesian islands, and parts of the Solomon Islands.
• A critically endangered species, its numbers have plummeted due to rampant illegal trapping for the cage-bird trade.
• Recognized by its white plumage, yellow crest, bluish orbital skin, and black beak, it nests in tree cavities.
• The most famous subspecies is the Citron Crested Cockatoo, identifiable by its orange crest.