Compared with the only other recognised Psittacus species, the grey parrot (P. erithacus), the Timneh is smaller and darker, with a dull, dark maroon (rather than crimson) tail and a horn-coloured patch on the upper mandible.

[9] The Timneh parrot is endemic to the western parts of the moist Upper Guinean forests and bordering savannas of West Africa from Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone and southern Mali eastwards to at least 70 km east of the Bandama River in Ivory Coast.

[7] The Timneh parrot has been undergoing population decline both through the loss of its forest habitat and trapping for the international wild bird trade.

[10] Along with the closely related Congo grey parrot, it is one of the most popular pet birds in the United States, Europe and the Middle East due to its longevity and ability to mimic human speech.

[11] In 2012, BirdLife International gave the Timneh parrot full species status on the basis of genetic, morphological, plumage and vocal differences[12] and classified it as Endangered in 2016.