Photo: Alejandro Bayer Tamayo from Armenia, Colombia / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Blue-headed Parrot
Pionus menstruus
Blue-headed Parrot (Pionus menstruus) — Parrots & Cockatoos of Central America & Caribbean.
Found across 19 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Blue-headed Parrot (Pionus menstruus) is a member of the Psittacidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and South America. Adults weigh 251 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Psittaciformes
- Family Psittacidae African & New World Parrots
- Genus Pionus
- Species menstruus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 251 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Psittacidae
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Blue-headed Parrot is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Blue-headed Parrot is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Blue-headed Parrot (Pionus menstruus) is a member of the Psittacidae family, within the order Psittaciformes. It occurs naturally across Central America & Caribbean and South America. Its distribution covers MA, SA Costa Rica to se Brazil.
It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 251 g, with a wing length of about 17.9 cm and a tail of around 7.5 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 8.4 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Blue-headed Parrot?
The Blue-headed Parrot is a large bird that weighs around 251 g.
Where does the Blue-headed Parrot live?
The Blue-headed Parrot is found across Central America & Caribbean and South America with a range covering MA, SA Costa Rica to se Brazil, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Blue-headed Parrot belong to?
The Blue-headed Parrot (Pionus menstruus) belongs to the Psittacidae family, in the order Psittaciformes.
What does the Blue-headed Parrot eat?
The Blue-headed Parrot is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Blue-headed Parrot migrate?
The Blue-headed Parrot is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Blue-headed Parrot endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Blue-headed Parrot make?
1 real field recording of the Blue-headed Parrot — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Blue-headed Parrot's range?
The Blue-headed Parrot has a mapped global range of about 8.4 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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