Scaly-headed Parrot

Scaly-headed Parrot

Pionus maximiliani

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Santos

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%

164 Verified sightings at Santos
5,690 In all 9 parks From 2019 to 2026
April Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Scaly-headed Parrot

The scaly-headed parrot (Pionus maximiliani) is a species of bird in subfamily Arinae of the family Psittacidae, the African and New World parrots. It is also called scaly-headed pionus, Maximilian pionus, Maximilian parrot, Maximilian's pionus, or Maximilian's parrot. It is found in Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, and Paraguay.

The scaly-headed parrot and the red-billed parrot (P. sordidus) are sister species. The species' specific epithet is a reference to Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied, a nobleman and naturalist who explored the hinterlands of southeastern Brazil in the early 19th century.

In Brazil, the scaly-headed parrot is called cocotas or maritacas (from mbaé'taka, tupi for "noisy bird"). 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... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:20

Argentina · 2026

© Marcos E. Sosa · XC1142993 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Flight call0:10

Brazil · 2023

© JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA · XC790466 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Canto em voo0:19

Brazil · 2019

© Caio Brito · XC556506 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Serra dos Órgãos National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~60%
2 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~50%
3 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~40%
4 Itatiaia National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~40%
5 Serra da Canastra National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
6 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
7 Amboró National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
<5%
8 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
9 Chapada Diamantina National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Santos 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
2 Santa Cruz de la Sierra 🇧🇴 Bolivia
~10%
3 Belo Horizonte 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
4 São Paulo 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
5 Rio de Janeiro 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
6 Campinas 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
7 Curitiba 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
8 Asuncion 🇵🇾 Paraguay
<5%
9 Buenos Aires 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Parque das Aves 🇧🇷 Brazil In captivity
2 Zoobotanic Park of Brusque 🇧🇷 Brazil In captivity
3 São Paulo Zoo 🇧🇷 Brazil In captivity
4 Zoo das Aves 🇧🇷 Brazil In captivity
5 Parque Ecológico de São Carlos 🇧🇷 Brazil In captivity
6 Parque Zoológico Bosque Guarani 🇧🇷 Brazil In captivity
7 Avifauna 🇪🇸 Spain In captivity
8 Agroflori Parque de las Aves 🇧🇴 Bolivia In captivity
9 Zoológico do Município de São Bernardo do Campo 🇧🇷 Brazil In captivity
10 Exotic Animal World 🇿🇦 South Africa In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Scaly-headed Parrot in Santos?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Scaly-headed Parrot sighting in Santos on a given day, based on 164 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 51st most-seen of the 203 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Scaly-headed Parrot in Santos?

April and June

In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Scaly-headed Parrot in Santos on a given day, against under 5% in October and November, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Scaly-headed Parrot?

Between 7 and 10 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Scaly-headed Parrot sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Santos the best place to see a Scaly-headed Parrot?

Yes

Of the 9 cities where we can rate Scaly-headed Parrot sightings, Santos has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia, about 10%) and Belo Horizonte (Brazil, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Scaly-headed Parrot live in Santos?

Same family: Psittacidae

The closest relatives of the Scaly-headed Parrot that you can see in Santos (family Psittacidae, New World and African Parrots) are Plain Parakeet (about 50%), Blue-winged Parrotlet (about 30%) and Mealy Parrot (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Scaly-headed Parrot sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Scaly-headed Parrot is recorded against all the birds logged in Santos (164 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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