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Animal profile

Monk Parakeet

Myiopsitta monachus

AvesOpen woodland, savannah, farmland and urban areas with tall structuresLeast Concern

Field profile

The monk parakeet is a green parrot with a grey face and breast, native to southern South America. It is now established in cities on several continents after escapes from the cage-bird trade. It is highly social and vocal, and its colonial nests are conspicuous on pylons and palms.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2024-11-19

Monk Parakeet

The only parrot that builds a stick nest

Nearly all parrots lay in a hole. The monk parakeet instead weaves bulky communal nests of thorny twigs, with separate chambers for separate pairs, and the structures can persist and grow for years.

Read with evidence →

Monk Parakeet | Daily Animal Facts