Blossom-headed Parakeet (Psittacula roseata)

Blossom-headed Parakeet

Subspecies

Monotypic species

Genus

Members of the parrot genus Psittacula or Afro-Asian Ringnecked parakeets as they are commonly known in aviculture originates found from Africa to South-East Asia. It is a widespread group, with a clear concentration of species in south Asia, but also with representatives in Africa and the islands of the Indian Ocean. This is the only genus of Parrot which has majority of its species in continental Asia. Of all the extant species only Psittacula calthropae, Psittacula caniceps and Psittacula echo do not have a representative subspecies in any part of mainland continental Asia. The Rose-ringed Parakeet, Psittacula krameri, is one of the most widely distributed of all parrots.

Physical charateristics

P.r. roseata: male-forecrown, cheeks and ear coverts rosy pink; crown and nape pale blue/purple; chin black; broad band across lower cheeks black, extending as fine stripe around hindneck; brown/red spot on inner middle wing coverts; long central tail feathers blue tipped with pale yellow, the side tail feathers yellow/green tipped with pale yellow; upper mandible orange/yellow, lower bill dark grey. Eye pale yellow. Female-head dull blue/grey, collar dull yellow/green ; red shoulder spot smaller; upper mandible yellow, lower bill dark grey. P.r. juneae: both adults as in roseata, but general body colour more yellow; more extensive red shoulder spot or patch; central tail feathers paler in colour, the side tail feathers more yellow.

wingspan min.:	0	cm	wingspan max.:	0	cm
size min.:	30	cm	size max.:	36	cm
incubation min.:	23	days	incubation max.:	27	days
fledging min.:	47	days	fledging max.:	53	days
broods:	1		eggs min.:	4
			eggs max.:	5

Range

Oriental Region : Southeast Asia. P.r. roseata: Bhutan, NE India from Sikkim and Assam south to West Bengal and Tripura, Bangladesh and N Burma; formerly E Nepal.
P.r. juneae: Tripura region and S Assam, NE India, and N Burma east through Thailand, north of Prachaup, to C and S Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and SE China in southern Guangxi and western Guandong.

Habitat

Well-wooded country, open forest and the edges of cultivated clearings, to at least 1000 m.

Reproduction

Nest in tree holes, but also walls and ruins reported. Might be breeding in loose colonies as congeners are. In captivity clutch size 4-5 eggs which are incubated for about 25 days. Young fledge after another 50 days.

Feeding habits

Reported food items are: flowers and wild pomegranate, nectar, grain including sorghum and maize, fruits including figs and apricots, red peppers and thistle seeds.

Video Blossom-headed Parakeet

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcv74RTb1iA

Conservation

This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Habitat loss and international trade. In some countries (mainly Thailand) parrots are considered pests and persecuted.

Blossom-headed Parakeet status Least Concern

Migration

Resident, with local wandering according to food availability.

Distribution map

Blossom-headed Parakeet distribution range map

Planet of Birds