Guide to North American Birds
Family African and New World Parrots
Habitat Deciduous and semi-deciduous forests along the Mexican coast, as well as pine-oak forests.Residential and suburban area in California; sometimes in native oaks. Has nested in native coniferous forest in the San Gabriel Mountains. Also found in Florida. Not abundant in any of these areas.
Native to western Mexico, these chunky parrots are often kept in captivity, and escaped birds may survive for years around southern cities. They are seen regularly in cities of coastal southern California, especially Los Angeles and San Diego. In Texas they are found both in the lower Rio Grande Valley of the southern tip and also around El Paso. Other sightings come from cities of southeastern Florida. In these feral flocks they often mix with related species such as Red-crowned and Yellow-headed Parrots.

Photo Gallery

Nesting

Pacific coastal forests in humid valleys at 600-1000 m are optimal nesting habitat, providing important food resources during the dry season.

Illustration © David Allen Sibley.
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Text © Kenn Kaufman, adapted from
Lives of North American Birds

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Songs and Calls

Contrasting to the down-slurred whistle of the Red-Crowned Parrot the Lilac-crowned gives a squeaky, up-slurred “kree, kree”, a rolling “krreeeih”, and a raven-like croak.
Audio © Lang Elliott, Bob McGuire, Kevin Colver, Martyn Stewart and others.
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