The Plum-headed Parakeet

Description:

The Plum-headed Parakeet is a mainly green parrot, 33 cm long with a tail up to 22 cm. The male's head is red, becoming purple-blue on the back of the crown, nape and cheeks. There is a narrow black neck collar and a black chin stripe. There is a red shoulder patch and the rump and tail are bluish-green, the latter tipped white. The upper mandible is orangish-yellow, and the lower mandible is dark. The female has a grey head, corn-yellow upper-mandible and lacks the black neck collar, chin stripe and red shoulder patch. Immature birds have a green head and both mandibles are yellowish. The different head colour and the white tip to the tail distinguish this species from the similar Blossom-headed Parakeet

Habitat:

The Plum-headed Parakeet is a bird of forest and open woodland and a resident breeder in Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. It is endemic to the Indian subcontinent. Though this species is not exploited as heavily as the sympatric Alexandrine Parakeet the trade takes its toll on local populations across the range. Population is reduced in urban areas and heavily inhabited zones.