The plum-headed parakeet is a species of parakeet that hails from India. They quickly fly about with twists and acrobatic turns throughout the day. These birds face the threats of deforestation and habitat fragmentation at the hands of agriculture expansion, logging, and urbanization that are actively shrinking their environment. Tree cover within their mapped range has declined by roughly 6% over the past 3 generations. Being cavity nesters that rely on naturally occurring tree hollows, the removal of old, hollow-bearing trees dramatically cuts down their available breeding sites and limits local population growth. Seeing as parakeets are among the most heavily targeted birds for the illegal wildlife market, these birds are frequently trapped and poached from the wild to supply local and international black-market demands. In high-density protected areas—such as India’s Rajaji National Park—unregulated or poorly managed tourism creates noise and physical disruptions that occasionally drive these birds away from ideal nesting and communal roosting locations. However, despite all these obstacles, these critters are abundant enough to be listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Their population trend is listed as decreasing though.
First the Stats…
Scientific name: Psittacula cyanocephala
Weight: Up to 3 ounces
Length: Up to 15 inches
Wingspan: Up to 17.72
Lifespan: Up to 30 years
Now on to the Facts!
1.) In India, they’re strictly protected under Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, making trapping, selling, or keeping them in captivity an offense punishable by heavy fines and imprisonment. Despite these legal frameworks, enforcement remains a continuous battle against poaching rings.
2.) They were first described by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760, however, the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus later provided its official binomial name (Psittacus cyanocephalus) in 1766.
3.) Their specific name cyanocephalus/cyanocephala combines the Ancient Greek words kuanos, which means “dark-blue” and -kephalos “-headed”.
4.) They are often kept as pets and escaped birds have been seen in New York, Florida, and in certain locales in the Middle East.
5.) This is a gregarious and very noisy species of bird with a host of calls, like the sharp, high-pitched, and repetitive “tui” or “tuink” sound used to stay connected with the flock while flying swiftly.
But wait, there’s more on the plum-headed parakeet!
6.) They also produce a mix of loud screeches, chatters, and short whistles. They can also sound short whistling tunes, beeps, and human speech.
7.) These birds are parasitized by quill mites and a species of Haemoproteus, H. handai that is found in their blood.
Did you know…?
Females are generally quieter, keeping their calls to soft, steady “chups”, whereas males are more talkative and prone to testing out melodic whistling routines.
8.) Females lay up to 6 eggs that hatch in up to 24 days.
9.) Like other parakeets, they are diurnal (active during the day).
10.) Black eagles, peregrine falcons, owls, pythons, monkeys, and cats all prey on these birds.
11.) Seeds, fruits, flower blossoms, and nectar are all on the menu.
Now a Short Plum-Headed Parakeet Video!
Be sure to share & comment below! Also, check out the Critter Science YouTube channel. Videos added regularly. Be sure to like and subscribe!
Want to suggest a critter for me to write about? Let me know here.
Some source material acquired from: Wikipedia & IUCN
Leave a Reply