Green-cheeked Parakeet (Pyrrhura molinae) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

The green-cheeked parakeet, better known to pet owners as the green-cheeked , is a small South American parrot about 10 in (25 cm) long. It's one of the quieter conures, which helps make it a popular companion bird. It isn't native to the US, where the birds you see are pets or escapes.

Appearance

Appearance: About 10 in (25–26 cm) long and 2.2–2.9 oz (62–81 g). It has a dull brown crown, green cheeks, a bare creamy-white ring around the eye, a scaly-looking breast, a reddish belly, and a maroon tail. Young birds lack the red belly. Males and females look alike.
Voice: Quieter than larger conures, though not silent for its size. Its flight calls are high-pitched and grating, and some birds learn a few words in a gravelly voice.

Look-alikes

Crimson-bellied conurePyrrhura perlata

The crimson-bellied has a bright red belly and flanks, turquoise-blue lower cheeks, and a thin blue band on the nape. The green-cheeked has all-green cheeks and a duller reddish belly.

Why they get mixed upA similar-sized Pyrrhura conure with a scaly breast, also sold as a pet.

Maroon-bellied conurePyrrhura frontalis

The maroon-bellied has a dark maroon forehead, a whitish ear patch, a yellow-green barred breast, and a greenish-yellow tail. The green-cheeked has a brown crown and a maroon tail.

Why they get mixed upA close relative, once lumped with it, that is also kept as a pet.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: Lowland dry forest
Gallery forest
Range: Native to Bolivia, western Brazil, northern Paraguay, and northwestern Argentina. It is not native to the US.
Preferred conditions: Mostly lowland woodland that drops its leaves in the dry season, secondary forest, and forest along rivers, including the edges of the Pantanal. It also lives in humid forest up to about 6,600 ft (2,000 m).

Behavior

Diet: In the wild it eats mainly fruit, seeds, and flowers, plus some nectar and leaves.

Life cycle

Nest: Nests in tree cavities.
Clutch size: 4–6 eggs (in captivity)
Incubation: 22–25 days; both parents incubate.
Fledging: About 7 weeks after hatching.
Lifespan: Can live 25–30 years with good care, but pet birds average closer to 10 years, often because of poor diet or neglect.

Growing it

Care: Playful and affectionate. Its bite is strong enough to draw blood.

Name and classification

About the name: It has sometimes been treated as the same species as the maroon-bellied parakeet (Pyrrhura frontalis). The subspecies P. m. hypoxantha, formerly called sordida, is known as the yellow-sided parakeet, a name that also gets used for a color mutation bred in captivity.
Varieties and forms: Common pet color mutations include cinnamon (paler lime green with a tan head), yellow-sided (red-to-yellow breast), pineapple (cinnamon plus yellow-sided), and turquoise (blue-green body with a gray breast and tail).

Conservation

IUCN Red List: LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction
Status: Listed on , so international trade is regulated. The wild population hasn't been counted and is thought to be declining.