The thick-billed parrot is a species named after its thick bill. A debate regarding whether it is a macaw or a conure exists since it has been called both. They are sometimes nicknamed snow parrots because they can tolerate cold better than other parrots. Local Mexicans call it guacamaya, meaning “macaw”, or cotorra serrana, meaning “mountain parrot”. International Ornithologists’ Union designated the name “thick-billed parrot”, as the official common name for this species.