Possessive apostrophes

[WhatHaveIDone21]

Can someone help as I have confused myself!

If I am writing a non fiction text about parrots (for example) and I wanted to say 'A parrot's beak is yellow' is the apostrophe in the correct place? I am just talking about any parrot rather than a specific one.

I know if I had a picture of a parrot and I was describing it as 'The parrot's beak is yellow' that would be correct as it is referring to that specific parrot. But not sure about 'A parrot's beak is yellow'

Thank you in advance!!

Yes that’s correct.

Same difference. A parrot's beak is yellow. The parrot's beak is yellow.

On the other hand, parrots' beaks are generally yellow.

Correct. Parrot is singular. "Parrots' beaks are yellow" would require the apostrophe where I've just put it, because then you've used the plural.

Thanks for the quick replies!

So if I was writing about parrots I could say:
A parrot's beak is yellow. A parrot's feathers are waterproof. A parrot's claws are black.

Are they grammatically correct?

Yes

Yes x

Yes, switch it round - the claws of a parrot are black; the feathers of a parrot are waterproof. So the apostrophe goes before the s.

Thank you all so much!

Also, you have said "a parrot" and there is only one beak, so clearly singular.
Parrots' beaks are yellow is plural.

If you were talking about legs-
A parrot's legs are yellow.
Parrots' legs are yellow.

Actually, aren't their beaks black?

Depends on the parrot…

OK.
I was thinking of the 'Black-Beaked Parrot'

Your examples are correct, but you seem to have a bit of confusion about how possessive apostrophes work. It's nothing to do with whether you're talking about a specific parrot, just whether it's one parrot or several (as previous posters have said).

My parrot's beak is black (one parrot)
The parrot's beak is black (specific parrot)
My parrot's beaks are black (one parrot with multiple beaks)
A parrot's beak is black (any parrot)
My parrots' beaks are black (several parrots)
My parrots' beak is black (several parrots which share one beak)

I believe that in days gone by we would have said 'the parrot its beak' or 'John his book' but the people of those days were lazy and started to leave out parts of the words, which is how the apostrophes came along, to show that letters were missing....the parrot's beak, John's book......
I know this is a bit of a de-rail but it is very close to the main discussion

@niadainud I'm impressed 👏 and particularly loving the last one.

Thank you.😀

Yes, some sort of conjoined parrot twins, perhaps.

The word "parrot" was starting to look very odd indeed by the end of typing that lot, I can tell you!

@upinaballoon I've never heard that before but if it's not true it jolly well should be.

I haven't made it up. (I know no-one's suggested I did.)

I either heard that explanation on Radio 4 several years ago or I had a very vivid dream that I was hearing that explanation on Radio 4.