PARRA, in ornithology, a genus of birds belonging to the order of grallæ; the characters of which are: The bill is tapering and a little obtuse; the nostrils are oval, and situated in the middle of the bill; the forehead is covered with fleshy caruncles, which are lobated; the wings are small, and spinous. There are five species; of which the most remarkable is the chavaria, which is about the size of the domestic cock. The Indians in the neighbourhood of Carthage, who breed large flocks of poultry that stray in the woods, train up the chavaria to defend them against the numerous birds of prey, no one of which will dare to encounter it. It is never known to desert the flock, and it returns every evening to roost.