# Thick-billed Parrot (*Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha*) The Thick-billed Parrot is a colorful bird with a big, strong beak. They love to live in the mountains and are known for their loud, cheerful calls. These parrots are very social and often travel in groups. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Rare - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Mountain regions ![Thick-billed Parrot](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Rhynchopsitta_pachyrhyncha_-Arizona-Sonora_Desert_Museum%252C_Tucson%252C_Arizona%252C_USA-8a.jpg&width=800) Photo: Tim Lenz from Ithaca, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rhynchopsitta_pachyrhyncha_-Arizona-Sonora_Desert_Museum%252C_Tucson%252C_Arizona%252C_USA-8a.jpg) ## Appearance The Thick-billed Parrot is a vibrant, forest-green bird with striking red patches on its forehead, wing-bends, and thighs. It has a prominent, heavy black beak designed for cracking tough seeds. Yellow under-tail coverts add a final splash of color. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Psittaciformes - **Family:** Psittacidae - **Genus:** Rhynchopsitta ## Interesting facts - Their loud calls can be heard echoing miles through rugged mountain canyons. - These are the only parrots native to snowy, high-altitude forests! - They use their strong feet to hold pinecones while expertly extracting seeds! - Young parrots are fed by both parents even after they learn to fly! ## Special abilities - **Pinecone Cracker:** Thick-billed Parrots can efficiently extract seeds from tough pinecones using their powerful, hooked beaks, which helps them survive. - **Mountain Navigator:** Thick-billed Parrots have strong wings and a streamlined body that helps them fly swiftly through rugged mountain terrain. - **Cold Conqueror:** Thick-billed Parrots has thick plumage that helps them stay warm and survive in high-altitude, cold pine forests. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 38-45 cm - **Wingspan:** 60-70 cm - **Weight:** 0.315-0.41 kg - **Lifespan:** 20-30 years - **Speed:** 45 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1-4 - **Incubation:** 24-28 days - **Migration Distance:** 300 km ## Diet & Feeding These parrots mostly eat seeds from pinecones, especially from tall mountain pine trees. - **Primary Foods:** Pine Seeds, Acorns, Flower Buds, Berries - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Depends on:** Ponderosa Pine (*Pinus ponderosa*) — Provides primary food source (seeds) and nesting sites. - **Eaten by:** [Red-tailed Hawk](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-tailed-hawk) (*Buteo jamaicensis*) — A common predator of adult parrots and their young. - **Depends on:** Arizona Pine (*Pinus arizonica*) — Provides another crucial food source (seeds) for the parrots. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Mountain](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/mountain): This habitat trait identifies species found in mountainous regions, characterized by high elevation, steep slopes, and varying climate zones. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and don't try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Thick-billed Parrot? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Thick-billed Parrot? 38-45 cm ### What is Thick-billed Parrot's wingspan? 60-70 cm ### How much does Thick-billed Parrot weigh? 0.315-0.41 kg ### How long does Thick-billed Parrot live? 20-30 years ### How fast can Thick-billed Parrot move? 45 km/h ### What does Thick-billed Parrot eat? These parrots mostly eat seeds from pinecones, especially from tall mountain pine trees. ### Where is Thick-billed Parrot usually found? Mountain regions ## Where to spot - [ZooAmerica](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/zooamerica) — Pennsylvania, US · Zoo - [Queens Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/queens-zoo) — New York, US · Zoo ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Thick-billed Parrot: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/thick-billed-parrot)