Scaly-headed Parrot vs White-crowned Parrot

Scaly-headed Parrot

Pionus maximiliani

Medium293 gForest

The scaly-headed parrot is 25 to 29 cm (9.8 to 11 in) long and weighs 233 to 293 g (8.2 to 10 oz). Adults of the nominate subspecies P. m. maximiliani have a blackish brown forehead and mid-crown. Their rest of their head, their nape, and their upper back are dark greenish bronze; the feathers have darker edges that give the eponymous scaly effect. Their eye has arcs of bare white skin above and below. Their lower back and wings are dull green with lighter scaling. Their throat and upper breast are dull blue that becomes yellowish green on the belly. Voice: One author says that the scaly-headed parrot's call is a "cacaphony of very high, shrill 'teer-teer-teer--'." Another says its primary flight call is "a repeated bisyllabic "cra-cheh", sometimes simply 'crreeh' or 'cheh' and that it also has a variety of 'conversational' calls, some with a more nasal quality" given while perched.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: moi-même · Public domain

White-crowned Parrot

Pionus senilis

Medium212 gForest

The white-crowned parrot is a medium-sized parrot of about 24cm in length. It has a broad body and a short tail, with a dark brown iris and brownish-pink eye ring. The bill is yellowish with a slight green coloration. Its forehead, crown and lores are pure white with white patch on chin and center of throat. The belly is mainly green; the basal colors of feathers on the breast are green with dark blue and purplish-blue tips, and light blue at the subterminal band.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K · CC BY 2.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Scaly-headed Parrot and White-crowned Parrot.