The Mountain Parakeet is found in the Andes from northern Peru to central Chile and northwest Argentina where it common to locally abundant in arid environments from 1000-4500m such as riparian growth, brushy slope, thorny scrub, and puna grassland with scatter bushes or cacti and even in urban landscapes such as city parks, farmland or gardens. It occurs in four disjunct regions corresponding to its four distinctive subspecies which differ in the amount of yellow on the face and breast, as well as habitat preference. The Mountain Parakeet feeds mainly by picking buds and fruit off of various small bushes or from the ground.