Bird GuideAfrican and New World ParrotsMonk Parakeet

Monk Parakeet

Monk Parakeet
Myiopsitta monachus
At a Glance Range & Identification Conservation Back to Top

At a Glance

Most parrots and parakeets nest in holes in trees, but this South American native builds bulky stick nests among the branches, both for raising young and for sleeping in at night. Many North American cities now have local colonies of Monk Parakeets, established by birds escaped from captivity. Despite some dire predictions in the past, these noisy but colorful birds have not yet spread to take over the countryside.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Parrots and Allies, Perching Birds
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Forests and Woodlands, Urban and Suburban Habitats
Region
Florida, Mid Atlantic, New England
Behavior
Direct Flight, Rapid Wingbeats
Population
20.000.000

Range & Identification

Description

11" (28 cm). Medium-sized parakeet with a long, pointed tail. Mostly green, paler below, but with extensive gray on forehead, throat, and chest. Blue in outer part of wings is most evident in flight.
Size
About the size of a Robin
Color
Blue, Green, White, Yellow
Wing Shape
Pointed, Tapered
Tail Shape
Long, Pointed

Songs and Calls

Loud, harsh, screeching eeeh-eeeh.
Call Pattern
Flat
Call Type
Chirp/Chip, Rattle, Raucous

Conservation

Conservation Status

Climate Map

Audubon’s scientists have used 140 million bird observations and sophisticated climate models to project how climate change will affect the range of the Monk Parakeet. Learn even more in our Audubon’s Survival By Degrees project.

Climate Threats Facing the Monk Parakeet

Choose a temperature scenario below to see which threats will affect this species as warming increases. The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk will affect other wildlife and people, too.