Plum-headed Parakeet

Description:

A very hungry and acrobatic bird as seen in the second pic. The Plum-headed Parakeet is a mainly green parrot. The male has a red head which shades to purple-blue on the back of the crown, nape and cheeks. There is a red shoulder patch and the rump and tail are bluish-green, the latter tipped white. The female has a dull bluish grey head and lacks the black and verdigris collar which is replaced by yellow. There is no black chin stripe or red shoulder patch. Immature birds have a green head and both mandibles are yellowish. The dark head is acquired after a year. The delicate bluish red appearance resembling the bloom of a peach is produced by a combination of blue from the optical effects produced by the rami of the feather and a red pigment in the barbules.

Habitat:

Seen at Madhav National Park.