A chunky, mid-sized parrot with a short tail. Mostly dark green with variably sized red patches on the crown, shoulders, and thighs. The red shoulders are often conspicuous in flight. Found in both lowland and montane forest as well as adjacent secondary habitats, usually in pairs or flocks, which sometimes contain dozens of birds. Similar to Brown-necked Parrot but smaller, with a smaller bill and a green rather than gray head. The calls are thin, high-pitched screeches.