Overview

Monk Parakeet: Medium parakeet, green overall, gray forehead, cheeks, lores, throat. Breast is gray, variably barred by dark edges on feathers. Pale pink bill. Belly; lower back, and rump are yellow-green. Wings are dull green with blue flight feathers. Tail is green above with central blue shafts.

Range and Habitat

Monk Parakeet: Native of South America; introduced to North America, establishing feral populations in and around cities from New England to the midwest, southeast Texas, and Florida; south Florida supports the largest population. Found in suburban and urban environments, particularly city parks.

Breeding and Nesting

Monk Parakeet: Five to nine white eggs are laid in a nest made of sticks and twigs built by both parents, sometimes with the help of other birds in colony. Nest is built in the highest branches of a tree or on a tall structure. Incubation ranges from 25 to 31 days and is carried out by both parents. Usually raises two broods per year.

Foraging and Feeding

Monk Parakeet: Eats legumes, grains, seeds, leaf buds, fruits, berries, nuts, blossoms, and insects; searches for food around human habitations, foraging in flocks on the ground and in trees.

Readily Eats

Berries, Nuts, Fruit, Seeds, Blossoms

Vocalization

Monk Parakeet: This noisy bird utters a wide range of various shrieks and screams. A common call is a rasping "chape", with a metallic tone, and sometimes with a shrill terminal note, "chape-yee"; throaty "kurr" heard from perched birds. They are also capable of mimicking human speech.

Similar Species

Monk Parakeet: White-winged Parakeet is smaller, yellow-green overall, shows yellow-and-white patch on wings, and lacks gray on face, crown, and breast.