White Capped Pionus

Physical Description: White Capped Pionus are generally green with a paler green or yellow on their undersides. True to their name, they have a white patch on their foreheads and under their chin and throat. Their wings will have a variety of colors from golden browns to blues or greens. Their beaks are horn colored and their eyes are brown/orange. They have pink legs!

Average Lifespan: 20 – 30 years

Sexing: Sexing these birds requires a DNA test, as they are not sexually dimorphic and you cannot tell the sex just by looking at them.

Origin: Central America (from Mexico to Western Panama)

Trainability: White Caps are typically very easy-going birds. They are intelligent, playful, and gentle in nature. They are less apt to bite than some other parrot species, and can be taught to talk. They will have small vocabularies consisting of a few words or phrases. Many learn to mimic sounds as well. They enjoy bathing and many caretakers bring their parrots into the shower with them. White Caps tend to bond very strongly with their primary caretaker or their immediate family, but this can be avoided with plentiful interaction from willing volunteers.

Loudness: White Caps are relatively quiet parrots, though they do get a little rowdy when they play. Their high-pitched squeaking may bother some but not others. If you are sensitive to noise (or have nosey neighbors who are) it is probably best to look into another species of parrot.