Alexandrine parrot, Alexandrine ring-necked parakeet, Greater rose-ringed parakeet
The Alexandrine parakeet (Psittacula eupatria) is a medium-sized parrot from South and Southeast Asia. It is named after Alexander the Great, who transported numerous birds from Punjab to various European and Mediterranean countries and regions, where they were prized by royalty, nobility, and warlords.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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GranivoreSeed predation, often referred to as granivory, is a type of plant-animal interaction in which granivores (seed predators) feed on the seeds of pla...
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FrugivoreA frugivore is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts, and seeds. Approx...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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NomadicNomadic animals regularly move to and from the same areas within a well-defined range. Most animals travel in groups in search of better territorie...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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FlockingFlocking birds are those that tend to gather to forage or travel collectively. Avian flocks are typically associated with migration. Flocking also ...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Alexandrine parakeet is predominantly green with a light blue-grey sheen on the cheeks and nape (back of the neck), a yellow-green abdomen, a red patch on the shoulders, and a massive red beak with yellow tips. The upper side of the tail passes from green at the top to blue further down and is yellow at the tip. The underside of the tail is yellow. Adult males have a black stripe across their lower cheeks and a pink band on their nape. Adult females lack both a black cheek stripe and a pink nape band. The young are similar in appearance to adult females but have shorter tails.
Alexandrine parakeets are widespread in South and South-East Asia where they live in forests, woodlands, agricultural lands, and mangrove forests.
Alexandrine parakeets are diurnal social birds. They usually live in small flocks but form larger groups in areas where food is abundant or at communal roosts. They are very noisy and loud making a variety of calls, including a ringing 'trrrieuw', loud 'kree-aar' or 'keeak', deep 'klak-klak-klak-klak', and resonant 'gr-aak'. Their calls are usually deep, harsh, and very resonant. Their voice becomes harsher when alarmed, and they shriek loudly when mobbing predators. Flocks occasionally excitedly vocalize together. Alexandrine parakeets are even known to imitate human speech in captivity.
Alexandrine parakeets are herbivores (granivores, frugivores) and their diet includes a variety of wild and cultivated seeds, buds, fruits, and nuts.
Alexandrine parakeets breed from November to April. They usually nest in tree hollows, but sometimes use tree holes excavated by themselves or cracks in buildings. Females lay 2 to 4 white, blunt oval-shaped eggs, measuring 27 to 34 mm (1.1 to 1.3 in). The average incubation period is 24 days. The chicks hatch blind and helpless and fledge at about 7 weeks of age. They are dependent on their parents until 3 to 4 months of age.
The main reasons for the species' steep population decline in its native range include habitat loss and excessive capture for the illegal wildlife trade. Alexandrine parakeets are also persecuted by farmers because flocks of these noisy colorful birds can cause extensive damage to ripening fruits and grain crops like maize and jowar.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Alexandrine parakeet total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers today are decreasing.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...