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Plum-headed Parakeet  (Psittacula cyanocephala)

 
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Male Plum-headed Parrot feeding on apple

Credit: © Robert | http://www.pbase.com/robert/exotic_birds
 
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Did You Know?
The Plum-headed Parakeet can be housed in a spacious flight with non-aggressive softbills or finches.

Status in the Wild
World Population:
Not recorded

Range: Lower Himalayan hills from NE Pakistan across to Nepal, Bhutan and West Bengal. Almost all of India and Sri Lanka and Rameswaram Island.

Habitat:
Occurs in woodland and farmland and in plains and foothills. Forests include: moist deciduous, sal Shorea forest and subtropical pine stands. Favours terrain generally below 500m (1640 ft) but locally up to 1500m (4920 ft).

Threat Summary:
Decline in Sri Lanka due to habitat loss. Also declined in Kathmandu valley, Nepal.

IUCN Rating:
Least Concern

Wild Diet:
Feeds on shrub flowers, wild pomegranate, nectar, grain including sorghum and maize, figs, apricots, red peppers and thistle seeds. Also bamboo seeds in Bandhavgrh National Park.

CITES Rating:
Appendix II

Ecology:
Forages in mixed flocks with Slaty-headed and Malabar parakeets. Often breeds in colonies. Male territorial.

Clutch and Egg Size:
4 to 5 spherical eggs, 25.0 x 20.0mm (1 x 0.8 in).

Breeding Season:
December/January-April, sometimes July-August in Sri Lanka.

More Info Sites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plum-headed_Parakeet

http://www.birdcare.com.au/plum_headed_parrot.htm