Body length 15-23 cm. The main color is gray-green. The head is brown in color, in the area of the ears with a gray tint, under the wings there are bright yellow spots. The undertail is gray. The mandible is blackish, the mandible is lighter. The periocular ring is dark gray. Paws are gray. The iris is yellow.
It lives in Southeast and South Africa .
It inhabits mountainous regions up to an altitude of 160 m above sea level, mangroves of coastal areas, shrouds , woodlands, preferring baobab trees. They feed on fruits, nuts and seeds; agricultural pests. Live in pairs or small groups. Very rare.
Young parrots adapt well to the new environment and are quickly tamed. These are playful and gentle parrots that do not require close attention from the owner. The average life expectancy is up to 30 years (an average of 15-20 years).
The view includes 3 subspecies.
- The brown-headed parakeet Poicephalus cryptoxanthus cryptoxanthus ( Peters , 1854) is a nominative subspecies. It lives in Swaziland , South Africa , in southeast Zimbabwe and southern Mozambique .
- Tanganyik brown-headed parakeet Poicephalus cryptoxanthus tanganyikae Bowen , 1930 - a head with a swamp hue, the ear area is grayer, the back is lighter than that of the nominative subspecies. Inhabits the south of Kenya , the north and northeast of Mozambique, the south of Mali and Tanzania .
- The Zanzibar brown-headed parakeet Poicephalus cryptoxanthus zanzibaricus is larger than the nominative subspecies, body length 23 cm, wings 165-170 mm. It lives on the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba . It is on the verge of extinction.
