Rose-ringed Parakeet

Rose-ringed Parakeet has yellow-green plumage, long, graduated tail and broad, rounded and hooked pinkish-red bill. Male shows black bib, narrow black and pink collar, extending from the bib, around the cheeks, to the nape sides where it tapers into a fine point. This half collar is bordered behind by narrow pink line extending across the nape, below an indistinct bluish crescent on the hind crown. Flight feathers are darker green above than below where they are mostly grey. The tail has bluish-green central rectrices, and ochraceous undertail feathers. Female has only a dull emerald-green collar, and lacks blue, pink and black on the head. Juvenile resembles adult female, but it shows yellower plumage, tail is shorter and the pink bill is pale-tipped.

Rose-ringed Parakeet is common in cultivated areas, urban parks and gardens, open countryside with trees, palm-trees thickets, dry and open forest. It also may be found in semi-desert areas and second grow open jungles, mainly in lowlands. It frequents semi-desert savannahs with short grass, open bushy areas, wooded valleys and evergreen forests. This species is now common in the large urban parks.

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.

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 calls may be heard, such as “kyik-kyik-kyik”. In captivity, it is a very good imitator for home noises, and it is able to produce some words.

The Rose-ringed Parakeet is a gregarious tropical parakeet species that has an extremely large range. Rose-ringed parakeets are popular as pets. This non-migrating species is one of few parrot species that have successfully adapted to living in disturbed habitats, and in that way withstood the onslaught of urbanisation and deforestation. In the wild, this is a noisy species with an unmistakable squawking call. Rose-ringed parakeets measure 40 cm in length including the tail feathers. The tail accounts for a large portion of their total length. The adult male sports a black neck-ring and pink nape-band while the female and immature birds either show no neck rings, or display shadow-like pale to dark grey neck-rings, and nape-bands that are lighter coloured than the surroundings.