The green-cheeked parakeet (Pyrrhura molinae), also known as the Molina’s parakeet, measures 25 to 26 cm in length and weighs between 60 and 80 g. There is no sexual dimorphism (males and females look alike).

In terms of coloration, its plumage is predominantly green, with a brown or gray crown, green cheeks, white eye-ring, chest with dark brown and light golden streaks, reddish abdomen, and a long maroon tail.

They can live between 10 and 30 years, depending on environmental conditions and care.

Several subspecies are recognized, including:

• P. m. molinae: Found in eastern Bolivia.

• P. m. phoenicura: Northeastern Bolivia and Mato Grosso.

• P. m. sordida (hypoxantha): Southeastern Mato Grosso and eastern Bolivia.

• P. m. restricta: Chiquitos region (Bolivia).

• P. m. australis: South-central Bolivia and northwestern Argentina.

Native to northwestern Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, and the northernmost Chaco of Paraguay, it inhabits lowland forests (mainly deciduous), secondary forests, and gallery forests in the lower elevations of the Pantanal, as well as humid subtropical forests up to 2,000 m.

Its varied omnivorous diet in the wild includes fruits, seeds, flowers, and, to a lesser extent, nectar and leaves.

The breeding season of the green-cheeked parakeet in Argentina includes February, but its timing is not well defined in other regions. It nests in natural tree cavities. In captivity, the clutch size ranges from four to six eggs, which are incubated for 22 to 25 days; both parents share incubation duties, and the chicks fledge about seven weeks after hatching.

This is a diurnal and arboreal species, usually forming flocks of 10 to 20 individuals. In areas with abundant food, they may gather in larger groups.

An interesting fact is that, thanks to aviculture, several color varieties have been developed, such as cinnamon, yellow, pineapple, and turquoise green-cheeked parakeets.