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THE PARROT SPECIES FIELD GUIDE · Psittacidae

Black-headed Parrot

Pionites melanocephalus

Meet the black-headed parrot: its taxonomic place, natural range and conservation record.

Black-headed Parrot — Pionites melanocephalus
Black-headed Parrot
SPECIES NOTES

A closer look.

Scientific names follow AviList v2025b. Read the taxonomy and source notes for changes in classification.

About this species

The black-headed parrot (Pionites melanocephalus; sometimes incorrectly Pionites melanocephala) is a species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. Other colloquial names are black-crowned parrot, black-capped parrot, black-headed caique, and for subspecies P. m. pallidus, pallid caique. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.

Conservation record

AviList v2025b records this species as least concern. Assessments and taxonomy can change; follow the source checklist for updates.

Sources & image credit

Names, family, range and conservation record: AviList Core Team (2026), AviList v2025b, CC BY 4.0. Species summary: Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0. Length, weight and longevity when listed: World Parrot Trust species account.

Image: Peter Tan. Original file and full credit · CC BY 2.0. Display size and encoding adjusted.