Thick-Billed Parrot
Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha
The thick-billed parrot is one of only two species of parrot that once inhabited the United States (the other is the Carolina parakeet, which is unfortunately extinct). They are bright green in color with a large black bill and red crown, shoulders and thighs.
Length about 15 inches
Lifespan Not much known; over 30 years in captivity
Diet
Staples Pine seeds and some acorns
Also known to eat juniper berries, conifer buds, agave nectar, insect larvae
Population
Approximately 500 to 2000 pairs in the wild.
Range
The thick-billed parrot used to live in Arizona, but is now found only in northern Mexico. It is unusual in that it lives in high elevation temperate forests. The summer (breeding) range of the thick-billed parrot is limited to high elevation forests of the Sierra Madre Occidental of northwestern Mexico, in the states of Chihuahua, Sonora and Durango. The winter range is less well known but extends south and east, possibly as far south as Veracruz.
Behavior
Thick-billed parrots are highly social. They live in flocks and feed and roost in groups. They don’t mind cold weather, and have been seen eating snow as a water source. Their loud calls, which sound like human laughter, can be heard almost a mile away. On extended flights, thick-bills often fly in a V formation, much like geese.
Nests
During the breeding season, pairs find a nest cavity high in an old-growth pine tree (or in one area in Mexico, an old-growth aspen), and usually enlarge and modify the nest by chewing and spiting out or kicking out wood chips.
Reproduction
Mating Season Summer
Gestation Eggs are usually laid between mid June and late July, and hatch between mid July and late August.
Clutch size 2-3 eggs
About 2 months after hatching (3 months after the eggs are laid), the young parrots fledge (leave the nest). For up to a year after hatching, the young are dependent on the parents to feed them and help them learn to forage.
Threats
Thick-billed parrots were likely hunted to extinction in Arizona. In their current range in Mexico, they are threatened primarily by logging, and to a lesser degree by trapping for the pet trade.
Legal Status/Protection
*Endangered Species Act (Thick-billed parrot, Rhynchopsitta packyrhyncha) **CITES Appendix I
*The Endangered Species Act requires the US federal government to identify species threatened with extinction, identify habitat they need to survive, and help protect both. In doing so, the Act works to ensure the basic health of our natural ecosystems and protect the legacy of conservation we leave to our children and grandchildren.
**Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international treaty with 172 member countries. Appendix I listed species cannot be traded commercially. Appendix II listed species can be traded commercially only if it does not harm their survival.
How You Can Help
- Help thick-billed parrots and other wildlife by adopting an animal at our Wildlife Adoption Center.
- Take Action for Wildlife at our Wildlife Action Center.
For additional information
Visit Defenders' Imperiled Species: Thick-Billed Parrot pages for more information about what Defenders is doing to help.
