Quercypsitta fossil map
Where fossils of Quercypsitta have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 30 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 30 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Prehistoric birds |
|---|---|
| Lived | 37.71–33.9 million years ago (Priabonian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Zygodactylidae |
| Named by | Mourer-Chauvire 1992 |
| Fossil records | 2 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | France |
| Rock formations | txn:39362 |
About Quercypsitta
Quercypsitta is a genus of prehistoric bird from the Late Eocene (circa 37-34 Mya) Quercy phosphorites in France.
Known from rather fragmentary remains (some foot and wing bones for the type species Q. sudrei, three coracoids for the species Q. ivani), it was described as a parrot sufficiently distinct to be included in its own family, the Quercypsittidae. These birds apparently formed an early offshoot of the parrots which spread to Europe and became extinct in the Miocene at latest. This coincided with a period of global cooling, when their relatives - the ancestors of the African and Asian parrots known today - had in the meantime settled the warmer areas south of the Quercypsittidae's distribution.
The genus Palaeopsittacus is sometimes included in the Quercypsittidae together with Quercypsitta, but it is not certain that the former was indeed a parrot.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Quercypsitta (revision 1341564623), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q3927695.
