to KwaZulu-Natal. Poicephalus parrots have spread to only a few islands on the African shore; while brown-headed parrots can be found on Pemba Island in the Indian Ocean, and Senegal parrots occur on the Îles de Los off the Guinean coast, Poicephalus parrots have become extirpated from Zanzibar. Normally, the distribution areas of the different Poicephalus species do not overlap but this may happen when food becomes scarce after longer periods of drought and the parrots are forced to migrate to find more abundant food sources. Then several different Poicephalus species can be found in one region. Other parrot species naturally occurring in the same distribution area as Poicephalus parrots include African grey parrots, African ring-necked parakeets, and different species of lovebirds like red-headed, black-collared, yellow-collared, rosy-faced, black-cheeked, black-winged, Fischer's, and Lilian's lovebirds. Habitat With the exception of the Cape parrot, whose preferred food sources are Podocarpus and Celtis seeds, Poicephalus parrots are readily adaptable dietary generalists. This is why they were able to spread to such diverse habitats as lowland tropical rain forests, mangrove forests, rain as well as dry forests of different biomes, and the wooded parts of African savannahs. Grey-headed parrots (P. f. suahelicus) and Meyer's parrots have settled in an especially wide range of different habitats. The natural distribution of the grey-headed parrot ranges from wooded lowland savannahs to humid high-altitude rainforests, up to altitudes of 4000 m. Meyer's parrots also occur in the moist forest regions of various life zones, as well as in shrub and grassland savannahs. Occasionally, Poicephalus parrots can be observed in agricultural areas, where they feed on fruit and grain. Behaviour and ecology Although Poicephalus parrots are not related to the American Amazon parrots, they have come to occupy similar ecological niches and show some analogies in their behaviour. Living mostly in small family groups consisting of adult birds and their young, Poicephalus parrots sometimes form loose larger groups with other families. If there is plenty of food available, those groups may comprise up to 100 birds. Even though some groups of Poicephalus parrots sometimes cause losses in orchards, maize or millet fields near settlement areas, they are generally shy and keep away from humans. Poicephalus parrots spend the nights in treetops, returning to the same roosting tree regularly. At dusk, they start preening before then leaving for their feeding grounds; loud calls usually announce the birds' departure. Depending on the