Brown-hooded Parrot

How to find it

Scan the sky above forest and watch for flyovers, since pairs and small groups fly fast and low over the canopy. Watch for red under the wings, look for the brownish head, and listen for musical, parakeet-like calls. Early morning, from dawn to about 8 AM, is given as the best viewing time. Fruiting trees are worth watching, because small flocks wander to find them. On trips we build, it is listed among the parrots to look for on a full day around Golfito in the south Pacific, alongside Blue-headed and White-crowned Parrots and Scarlet Macaw. In the northern lowlands, parrots can be watched close to a lodge, with most seen within about 100 metres.

How to recognise it

This is a chunky, medium-sized parrot, about 21 cm long and weighing around 165 g. Look for these marks:

A green body.

A brown head, with a greyish brown crown and a whitish forecrown.

A pale eye-ring that gives a spectacled look.

A very pale bill.

A small red ear patch, rarely visible.

In flight the armpits (the underwing) flash bright red, though the birds often fly too fast for this to be seen. Red under the wings and a brownish head are the two clues to watch for.

What it sounds like

Recording: Rajan Rao, CC BY 4.0, source, read 4 Nov 2026.

Behaviour and diet

It is most often seen flying fast and direct, low over the canopy, in pairs or small groups that seldom exceed 15 birds. When feeding it stays inside the foliage more than other parrots do, taking fruit quietly in the canopy. It nests in tree cavities, often high in large old trees. Small flocks wander in search of fruiting trees, which brings them into smaller forest patches, including parts of the Central Valley.

Where it lives

It is a bird of humid tropical forest, from the lowlands up into mountains across its range. In Costa Rica it occurs on both the Caribbean and Pacific slopes. It uses the canopy and forest edge, old second growth, nearby scrub and cacao plantations, and avoids large open areas. It is most common in heavily forested humid zones, but sometimes flies over deforested areas, even the Central Valley. It breeds locally up to about 1600 m on adjacent mountain slopes.

When to see it

One Costa Rica source says breeding usually starts in March and can run into June, while another gives roughly December to March, so the sources disagree.

Similar birds

Birders in Costa Rica sometimes confuse it with other small green parrots such as White-crowned Parrot or Red-lored Parrot. The brown hood and red ear patches make it easier to tell apart. Blue-headed Parrot has deep wingbeats like White-crowned Parrot but a darker head and bill, and is mostly seen around the Golfo Dulce and the southeastern lowlands. The wingbeats of the Brown-hooded fall between those of Amazona and Pionus parrots.

Names and lore in Costa Rica

The official Costa Rican name is Loro Cabecipardo, with Lora as the everyday name. Other Spanish names used across its range include Lorito Encapuchado, Loro Cabeza Oscura and Loro Orejirrojo.

Status and conservation

The official Costa Rican bird list treats it as a resident species (R), and BirdLife International lists it as Least Concern.

Photography tips

It is hard to photograph because it stays inside the foliage more than other parrots do, and its presence may show only as falling fruit or calls. Early morning, from dawn to about 8 AM, is the best time. A feeder at Boca Tapada has given filmed views.