Orange-cheeked parrot

The orange-cheeked parrot (Pyrilia barrabandi), also known as Barraband's parrot, is a species of parrot in the family Psittacidae. It was formerly placed in the genus Pionopsitta, which is now monotypic.

It is found in the Amazonian Andes, in humid lowland forests in the northwestern, southwestern, and south-central Amazon Basin in South America.

They are threatened with loss of habitat due to the increasing deforestation of the Amazon.

The parrots are 25 cm (9.8 in) in size and weigh 165–190 g (5.8–6.7 oz).

Adults have an olive throat and breast. The thighs are yellow, with the bend of the wing and lesser wing coverts ranging from yellow to orange, and the carpal edge and underwing coverts being orange to red. The tips of the tail and the wing feathers are blue. P.b. aurantiigena has deep orange cheeks, bend of wing, underwing and lesser wing coverts, and thighs, lacking the yellow possessed by barrabandi. They have a black head and orange to yellow cheeks, with a distinctive white eye-ring around a brown eye. The beak is gray to black.

Juveniles have a brown crown and olive forehead, nape, cheeks and chin, with a brown margin. The bend of the wings and lesser wing coverts are green with a scattered yellow. The carpal edge and underwing coverts are red with scattered green feathers.

Distinctive calls that are reedy and slurred in flight. They have guttural alarm calls.