A typically vibrant parrot, the yellow-shouldered parrot has brilliant green plumage, with contrasting patches of yellow on the shoulders and forehead. The feathers of this attractive parrot have narrow dark edges, giving a slightly scaled appearance, and are tinged with blue on the underparts and wings. A single bar of red sits conspicuously on each shoulder and the chin and lower cheeks are often light blue. In common with most other parrots, the male and female is very similar, but juveniles are somewhat duller, with less yellow and blue on the head, and a whitish bill, washed with dark grey.