Blue-headed Parrot (Pionus menstruus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Blue-headed Parrot

Pionus menstruus (Linnaeus, 1766)

28 cmLength251 gWeight

The blue-headed parrot, also known as the blue-headed pionus (Pionus menstruus) is a medium-sized parrot of about 27 cm (11 in) in length.

Busiest months: January–March · Most records: Colombia, Panama, Peru

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Blue-headed Parrot has been recorded at 420 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 12 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Hotel Tinamú Birding Nature ReserveColombia3,330 records
  2. RN Laguna de SonsoColombia2,694 records
  3. Wilson Botanical GardenCosta Rica2,407 records
More places
  1. Tranquilo Bay Eco-Adventure LodgePanama1,897 records
  2. RN San Cipriano-EscalereteColombia1,744 records
  3. Panama Rainforest Discovery CenterPanama1,485 records
  4. Canopy LodgePanama1,287 records
  5. Pauxi pauxi ProAves ReserveColombia1,275 records
  6. Rio Cristalino – listas históricasBrazil1,226 records
  7. Rio Silanche Bird SanctuaryEcuador1,188 records

Countries and regions with the most records

ColombiaPanamaPeruEcuadorBrazilCosta RicaGuyanaTrinidad & Tobago

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The body is mostly green, with a blue head and neck, and red undertail coverts. It is a resident in tropical and subtropical South America and southern Central America, from Costa Rica, Venezuela and the Caribbean island of Trinidad south to Bolivia and Brazil.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Blue-headed Parrot?

The Blue-headed Parrot is about 28 cm long and weighs around 251 g.

Where does the Blue-headed Parrot live?

Its breeding range: Middle America, South America: Costa Rica to southeastern Brazil. It is most often recorded in Colombia, Panama and Peru.

When is the best time to see the Blue-headed Parrot?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, February and March (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Blue-headed Parrot endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Blue-headed Parrot as Least Concern.

What does the Blue-headed Parrot eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the Blue-headed Parrot in?

It belongs to the family African & New World Parrots (Psittacidae), order Parrot (Psittaciformes).

At a glance

Length
28 cm
Weight
251 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Omnivore
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
178 mm
Tail
75 mm
Bill
27 mm
Tarsus
16 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Middle America, South America: Costa Rica to southeastern Brazil

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Parrot Psittaciformes
Family
African & New World Parrots Psittacidae
Genus
Pionus

Other birds in the genus Pionus

Dusky ParrotDusky ParrotPionus fuscusRed-billed ParrotRed-billed ParrotPionus sordidusScaly-headed ParrotScaly-headed ParrotPionus maximilianiPlum-crowned ParrotPlum-crowned ParrotPionus tumultuosusWhite-capped ParrotWhite-capped ParrotPionus seniloidesWhite-crowned ParrotWhite-crowned ParrotPionus senilisBronze-winged ParrotBronze-winged ParrotPionus chalcopterusGrey ParrotGrey ParrotPsittacus erithacusTimneh ParrotTimneh ParrotPsittacus timnehRed-fronted ParrotRed-fronted ParrotPoicephalus gulielmi
Blue-headed Parrot

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Arman Moreno. ↗

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