MY PROJECT ON BIRDS OF KERALA

ROSE RINGED PARAKEET

v   SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

KINGDOM: ANIMALIA

PHYLUM: CHORDATA

CLASS: AVES

ORDER: PSITTACIFORMES

FAMILY: PSITTACIDAE

GENUS: PSITTACULA

SCIENTIFIC NAME : Psittacula krameri

 DESCRIPTION

Rose-ringed Parakeet has yellow-green plumage, long, graduated

black bib, narrow black and pink collar, extending from the bib,tail and broad,rounded and hooked pinkish-red bill. Male showsaround the cheeks, tothe nape sides where it tapers into a finepoint. This half collar is bordered behind by narrow pink line extending across the nape, below an indistinct bluish crescent on the hind crown.

They are mostly grey. The tail has bluish-green central rectrices, and Flight feathers are darker green above than below where they are ochraceous undertail feathers. Female has only a dull emerald-green collar, and lacks blue, pink and black on the head.

VOICE

The Rose-ringed Parakeet’s typical call is a loud shrill, “kii-a” or“kii-ak” while flying, or when perched on a tree. Other loud callsmay be heard, such as “kyik-kyik-kyik”.In captivity, it is a very good imitator for home noises, and it is ableto produce some words. 

  HABITAT

Rose-ringed Parakeet is common in cultivated areas, urban parksand gardens, open countryside with trees, palm-trees thickets, dryand open forest. It also may be found in semi-desert areas andsecond grow open jungles, mainly in lowlands. It frequents semi-desert savannahs with short grass, open bushy areas, woodedvalleys and evergreen forests. This species is now common in thelarge urban parks

  NESTING

The Rose-ringed Parakeet’s nest is a hole in tree. But when they live in towns,they can nest in any available high cavity, such as a crevice in a wall, under a roof, an old magpie nest… The nest is lined with rotten wood. 

 FOOD

The Rose-ringed Parakeet feeds on seeds, berries, flowers and nectar. After the breeding season, in some places, they arrive in groups and feed on grain, rice and maize in cultivated areas, but they also devastate orchards and coffee plantations. In California,they consume pecan nuts, buds,and varied fruits.