Thick-billed parrot  (Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha)

Nests are constructed in the hollows of conifer trees; the breeding season runs from July to September, possibly in response to increased food availability (5). Around 3 eggs are usually laid and these are incubated over a month (5). After hatching the chicks take a further 59 – 65 days to fledge and remain dependent on their parents for a period of time after fledging (5).

Pine nuts constitute the majority of the thick-billed parrot diet. Mexican white pine appears to be a preferred species but the seeds of Douglas fir, Apache pine and Chihuahua pine are also taken (5). Flocks gather on a single tree and clip the cones from their branches before shredding their outer coats to get to the seeds within (5).