Macaws, Amazons, lorikeets, lovebirds, cockatoos and many others are all considered parrots. Parrots are kept as a pet for many years because of their colorful appearance, ability to interpret and talk like human beings. Some parrots that are kept as pets are as follows.

Humans and parrots have a complicated relationship. Economically they can be beneficial to communities as sources of income from the pet trade and are highly marketable tourism draws and symbols. But some species are also economically important pests, particularly some cockatoo species in Australia. Some parrots have also benefited from human changes to the environment in some instances, and have expanded their ranges alongside agricultural activity, but many species have declined as well.

There exist a number of careers and professions devoted to parrots. Zoos and aquariums employ keepers to care for and shape the behavior of parrots. Some veterinarians who specialize in avian medicine will treat parrots exclusively. Biologists study parrot populations in the wild and help to conserve wild populations. Aviculturalists breed and sell parrots for the pet trade.

Studies with captive birds have given insight into which birds are the most intelligent. While parrots are able to mimic human speech, studies with the African

Grey parrot has shown that some are able to associate words with their meanings and from simple sentences.