All have long, pointed tails, a mainly green plumage, and a relatively narrow, dark greyish to white eye-ring.

Many have scaly or barred chest-patterns and a whitish, pale grey, buff or reddish ear-patch.

They typically move around in small, noisy flocks, flying swiftly at or below canopy level.

[7] The taxonomy of some groups, in particular the Pyrrhura picta and the P. leucotis complexes, has changed significantly in recent years.

In late 2008 it was proposed that the members of the P. picta complex from north-eastern Peru (the so-called "group 6" in Joseph, 2002) should be considered a new species, the Amazon red-fronted parakeet, P. parvifrons.