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THE PARROT SPECIES FIELD GUIDE · Psittacidae

White-crowned Parrot

Pionus senilis

Meet the white-crowned parrot: its taxonomic place, natural range and conservation record.

White-crowned Parrot — Pionus senilis
White-crowned 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 white-crowned parrot (Pionus senilis), also known as the white-crowned pionus in aviculture, is a small parrot which is a resident breeding species ranging from eastern Mexico to western Panama. It is found in lowlands and foothills locally up to 1600 m altitude in forest canopy and edges, and adjacent semi-open woodland and second growth. The 3 to 6 white eggs are laid in an unlined nest, usually a natural cavity in a tree or a hollow palm stub. The white-crowned parrot is 24 cm long and weighs 220 g. The adult male has a white forehead and crown, the feature which, likened to an old man's white hair, gave rise to the specific name senilis.

Where it occurs

Caribbean slope of southeastern Mexico to western Panama.

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.

Image: Pionus_senilis_-Macaw_Mountain_Bird_Park,_Honduras-8b.jpg : Sarah and Jason derivative work: Snowmanradio ( talk ). Original file and full credit · CC BY-SA 2.0. Display size and encoding adjusted.