- Where to see one
- 4 U.S. zoos in our directory hold thick-billed parrot, confirmed against each zoo's own animal list.
Conservation status
Not Evaluated
This species has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List, so it sits outside the threat scale entirely.
About the thick-billed parrot
The thick-billed parrot is a medium-sized, bright green parrot of the pine and fir forests of Mexico's Sierra Madre Occidental, living at 1200 to 3600 metres. It has a large black bill, a red forecrown, shoulders and thighs, and is about 38 cm long. It feeds mainly on pine seeds, breeds when cone production peaks, and is nomadic, following cone abundance. In deep snow it hangs upside down to reach cones from the underside of branches. It nests in tree cavities, especially old woodpecker holes. Highly social, birds may feed one another and preen each other, and groups of over 1,000 are known from historical records.
Thick-billed Parrot facts
- It formerly ranged into Arizona and New Mexico, with the last reliable US reports in 1935 and 1938.
- Its calls include harsh, rolling notes described as similar to human laughter.
- It is thought to have relied on holes left by the imperial woodpecker, the world's largest woodpecker.
- Captive birds have lived up to 33 years.
Where to see thick-billed parrot in the U.S.
4 zoos across 3 states
Find the closest one
Rank the 4 zoos holding thick-billed parrot by how far they are from you. Your location is used in your browser to sort this list and is never sent to us.
California· 2
New York· 1
Pennsylvania· 1
AZAThe Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Accredited members have passed an independent inspection of animal care and welfare, safety, conservation and education, repeated every five years. Many smaller facilities never apply, so “not accredited” isn't a verdict on its own. What accreditation means · How we check this
Built from each zoo's own published animal list.
