The parakeet is on average 29 cm long, with a 48 cm wingspan, and weighs 100 g. Females tend to be 10-20% smaller, but it is hard to tell the sexes apart, unless they test the feather or blood DNA. It has bright green upperparts. The forehead and breast are pale grey. The bill is orange, and when it calls, it makes a loud and throaty "chape(-yee)" or "quak quaki quak-wi quarr". Sometimes, it also screeches, "skveet".