Malabar Parakeet |
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Also known as: Blue-winged Parakeet
Wild female Malabar Parakeet
© Bishan Monnappa
Photos
View in GalleryAcademic Research
Related publications: Psittacula columboidesSpecies Profile
Genus: Psittacula | Species: columboides
Size:
38cm (14.8 in)
Weight:
Not recorded.
Races including nominate:
one
Colour Adult:
Male-Grey head and upperparts; green and cheeks; area around eyes green; blue tinge on forecrown; black chin and stripe on lower cheeks; black collar encircling hindneck, bordered below by green/blue band; green/blue lower back to upper tail coverts; green upper wing coverts scalloped with yellow/green; yellow/green underparts washed with pale blue; blue central tail feathers tipped with yellow, the side tail feathers green tipped with yellow; red upper mandible tipped with yellow, brown lower mandible. Eye yellow. Female-Green/blue band around hindneck absent; green on face and forecrown minimal; pale green mantle, breast and abdomen, often suffused with grey. Bill black.
Colour Juvenile:
Grey of head and upper parts green instead; black stripe across cheeks and around collar duller and narrower; blue/green band under black stripe absent. Bill pale orange in very young birds. Eye grey.
Call:
Calls are discordant and shrieky; also scolding. Also sharp notes repeated in short bursts.
Listen NowVideo Links:
Video 1 | Video 2More Information:
AvianWeb
Avibase
Handbook of the Birds of the World
Content Sources:
CITES
Lexicon of Parrots
BirdLife International
Internet Bird Collection
Parrots: A Guide to Parrots of the World, Juniper and Parr, 1998
Parrots of the World, Forshaw and Cooper, 1977. 2010 edition
Parrots of the World, Forshaw, 2006.
Wild female Malabar Parakeet
© Bishan Monnappa
Photos
View in GalleryAcademic Research
Related publications: Psittacula columboidesSpecies Care
Captive Status:
Uncommon
Longevity:
Not recorded.
Housing:
3 x 1 x 2m (9.8 x 3.3 x 6.5 ft) outside aviary in warm temperatures, with adjoining inside aviary, or walk-in avairy minimum length 4.5m (14.7 ft). Use metal construction.
Diet:
Seed mix of safflower, millet, canary, buckwheat and some sunflower; millet spray; fruits such as: apple, pear, banana, cactus fruits, orange; vegetables such as: carrot, celery, peppers, green beans and peas in the pod; green leaves such as: Swiss chard, lettuce, sowthistle, dandelion and chickweed; egg food for rearing; complete pellet.
Enrichment:
Bird-safe (unsprayed and non-toxic) branches with blossoms, pine, elder, willow and fir boughs, vegetable-tanned leather toys and wood block toys. Light bather, so provide overhead misters or shallow water bowls.
Nest Box Size:
Vertical box 9" x 9" x 24" (22.8cm x 22.8cm x 61cm).
Clutch Size:
4
Incubation Time:
23 days
Fledging Age:
6 weeks
Hatch Weight:
Not recorded.
Peak Weight:
Not recorded.
Weaning Weight:
Not recorded.
Wild female Malabar Parakeet
© Bishan Monnappa
Photos
View in GalleryAcademic Research
Related publications: Psittacula columboidesSpecies Wild Status
World Population:
Unknown, stable.
IUCN Red List Status:
Least Concern
CITES Listing:
Appendix II
Threat Summary:
Species has a restricted range, may be in danger from habitat loss.
Range:
Western Ghats, India from lat. 19N south to S Kerala.
Habitat:
Found from 450-1000m (1476-3280 ft) in upland evergreen rainforest, both primary and secondary. Also found in deciduous forest with bamboo and abandoned coffee and rubber plantations.
Wild Diet:
Feeds on seeds, fruits, particularly wild figs, buds, flowers and nectar. May take sorghum and fruit crops.
Ecology and Behaviour:
Found in family groups or small flocks. Associates with Plum-headed Parakeet at lower elevations.
Clutch and Egg Size:
4 spherical eggs, 28.0 x 24.5mm (1.1 x 0.9 in).
Breeding Season:
January-March
Related Links:
Wild female Malabar Parakeet
© Bishan Monnappa
Photos
View in GalleryAcademic Research
Related publications: Psittacula columboidesMembers Only Resources
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