thick-billed parrot (Phoenix Zoo - Arizona Trail)

thick-billed parrot

Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha

Summary ⁴

The Thick-billed Parrot, Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha is an endangered, medium-sized, up to 38 cm long, bright green parrot with a large black bill and a red forecrown, shoulder and thighs. It is found in Mexico, and its former range extended marginally into the United States.

Range description ⁵

Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha is largely restricted to the Sierra Madre Occidental, Mexico, in north-east Sonora, west Chihuahua, south and west Durango and MichoacÃ¡n (two collected in April 1987 and 200 birds in April-May 1990 [J. Salgado in litt. 1998, Specimens in UMSNH per A. T. Peterson in litt. 1999] are the first records since 1941). Smaller, occasional or extirpated populations have occurred in Sinaloa and Jalisco. Seasonal migrations occur to the states of Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima and MichoacÃ¡n (Ortiz Maciel and Cruz Nieto 2004). Pre-1960 records of Rhynchopsitta parrots from Coahuila, MÃ©xico and Veracruz may pertain to wanderers. It formerly occurred in USA, in Arizona and New Mexico, but had disappeared by the early 1990s (Ortiz Maciel and Cruz Nieto 2004). Reintroduced birds have bred in USA more recently. The population was estimated at fewer than 5,000 birds in 1992 (Specimens in UMSNH per A. T. Peterson in litt. 1999), and 1,000-4,000 in 1995 (Lammertink et al. 1996). In 2004, the population was thought to number 3,000-6,000 individuals, including c.2,800 mature individuals (Ortiz Maciel and Cruz Nieto 2004). These figures may represent an over-estimation, as not all of the nest cavities surveyed are used every year (M. A. Cruz-Nieto et al.in litt. 2007). Anecdotal observations by the rural residents of ejidos (communally owned lands) indicate a continued general decline in flock sizes and the frequency of sightings throughout its range, including the disappearance of some local populations (Ortiz Maciel and Cruz Nieto 2004).

Iucn red list assessment ⁶

Red List Category

Endangered

Red List Criteria

C2a(ii)

Version

3.1

Year Assessed

2013

Assessor/s

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s

Butchart, S.

Contributor/s

Cruz, J., Cruz-Nieto, M.Ã., Enkerlin-Hoeflich, E., Healy, S., Lammertink, M., Ortiz-Maciel, S., Peterson, A., Salgado, J. & ValdÃ©s-PeÃ±a, R.

Justification

This species has a very small population which is declining owing to ongoing habitat loss and degradation. These factors mean that it qualifies as Endangered.

History