Hanging parrots are birds in the genus Loriculus, a group of small parrots from tropical southern Asia.
Hanging parrots | |
---|---|
Blue-crowned hanging parrot | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Psittaciformes |
Family: | Psittaculidae |
Subfamily: | Agapornithinae |
Genus: | Loriculus Blyth, 1849 |
Type species | |
Psittacus galgulus (blue-crowned hanging parrot) Linnaeus, 1758
| |
Species | |
See main text |
About 13 cm (5.1 in) long, hanging parrots are mostly green plumaged and short-tailed. Often head coloring helps to identify individual species.[1] They are unique among birds for their ability to sleep upside down.[2]
The genus Loriculus was introduced in 1849 by the English zoologist Edward Blyth for the blue-crowned hanging parrot.[3][4] The name is a diminutive of the genus Lorius that was introduced by Nicholas Aylward Vigors for the lorys in 1825.[5]
Fifteen species are recognised:[6]