Thanks in part to their hooked bills, parrots are able to chisel open nuts and berries effortlessly. The conveniently shaped bill is also used as a third foot by most species, to aid in maneuvering. Parrots have unusually large heads, short necks, stocky bodies, rounded tails and strong feet. Likewise, weight of the parrot varies, as well, from a few ounces to more than 3 pounds. The parrot's most notorious quality is their ability to mimic speech patterns.
Parrots have a keen sense of hearing and sight.
Domesticated parrots familiarize themselves with movement and voice patterns and are able to mimic human behavior and words almost perfectly. The Amazon parrot is famous for not only mimicking voices, but dog barks, cat meows and other household noises. The African Gray parrot, another popular U.S. pet, is unsurpassed it its ability to communicate, developing an extensive vocabulary. They exist in tropical areas through out the world, where they live on a diet of fruit, seeds, buds, nectar and pollen. If need be, parrots can also survive by ingesting insects or meat.