Monk Parakeet: how to recognise it
A bird seen on most continents. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Juan Emilio · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Myiopsitta monachus
- Family
- New World and African Parrots
- Size
- About 29 cm
- Habitat
- Parks and city trees
- Found in
- Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, South America and Oceania
The key marks
Green with a grey face and breast and a pale bill. Rose-ringed Parakeet has a red bill and a green face.
Voice
A harsh 'kree-kree'.
Good to know
It builds big communal stick nests in trees or on pylons.
Do not confuse with
Compare it with the Rose-ringed Parakeet. Look at the marks above one by one rather than the overall colour, and practise telling the two apart with real photos.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in parks and city trees. It is especially common in Argentina, Spain and Israel. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.