The green-cheeked parakeet is typically 26 cm (10 in) long and weighs 60 to 80 g. It is mainly green, with a brown/black/grey crown, white periophthalmic rings, green cheeks, blue primary wing feathers, a grey beak, and its long pointed tail is mostly maroon. It has short transverse striations on its breast and a red abdominal area. Males and females have an identical external appearance.

food and feeding

The green-cheeked conure eats various seeds, vegetables and fruits. The average clutch is 4–6 eggs. Average incubation is 25 days, varying from 22 to 25 days. They are the quietest of the conures and can learn tricks and have a limited vocabulary, with extensive training.

Green-cheeked parrots are common in aviculture and are popular companion parrots. They are playful, affectionate and intelligent, known as having a "big personality in a small body". They can learn to talk, albeit with a limited vocabulary and a gravelly voice. They like to be held (although some like it more than others) and can learn tricks such as lying on their backs, "kissing," shaking, hanging upside down and even can be potty trained. Green-cheeked parrots are not very loud at most times, so even an apartment dweller can enjoy their companionship. They can be prone to biting, particularly when young, but an owner can cure this behavior with patience and time.

They love fruits, (especially bananas and raisins), and seeds such as sunflower, safflower, and hemp seeds—all found in their natural environments. Green-cheeked parrots also love table food—they are flock animals and love to eat with their family. They can eat potatoes, carrots, corn, bread, pasta, and plain popcorn. A clipped and/or caged bird can become obese from eating too many fatty seeds such as sunflower seeds and peanuts. A bird-pellet diet with a calcium supplement provides proper nutrition and should comprise 60–70% of their diet. A good rule of thumb is 70% pellet diet, 20% fruit and vegetables and <10% treat items. Parrots with health problems related to the kidneys should not be fed a high protein diet, as it may lead to gout; veterinarian prescribed low-protein diets are available for birds with such conditions. Green-cheeked parrots can live to 30 years with proper care, though the average lifespan is typically 10 years due to owner neglect.

In addition to the natural color forms, color mutants have been selectively bred in aviculture:

• Cinnamon are lime green and have a lighter, almost pale color to the feathers. The head is tan and the tail feathers are a lighter maroon than in normal green-cheeked parrots.
• Yellow-sided have a breast of bright colors and, rarely, have a bright yellow feather on each side of the upper wing. This is a rare genetic occurrence of which only one hatchling in approximately 10 clutches can be found to have. This appearance can increase their value.
• Pineapple is cinnamon and yellow-sided combination. They have a breast of bright colors, a tan head and lime green feathers on the back like a cinnamon green-cheeked parrot. The tail feathers are the same as a yellow-sided, showing a halo effect.
• Turquoise have a body with some blue-green and green feathers. The breast feathers are grayish and the tail feathers are gray.

The green-cheeked parakeet has six subspecies:

• Pyrrhura molinae, (Massena & Souance 1854)
• P. m. australis, Todd 1915
• P. m. flavoptera, Maijer, Herzog, Kessler, Friggens & Fjeldsa 1998
• P. m. hypoxantha,(Salvadori 1899)
• P. m. molinae, (Massena & Souance 1854)
• P. m. phoenicura, (Schlegel 1864)
• P. m. restricta, Todd 1947