Hey! We are the playful and very talkative Alexandrine Parakeet. We are named after the famous emperor Alexander of Greece. There is interesting information about us that you might want to see. Have a look:
- We are the largest parakeets in the world measuring about 62cm.
- We are birds that are kept as pets in many countries because of our ability to mimic human voices and also voices of surroundings. We are very loyal pets.
- We can learn many words and sentences and play with toys.
- We are quite intelligent birds. We can solve puzzles and challenges.
- Do you know? Though we are wonderful as pets, our sale is banned in our range. This is due to an extreme decline in our population.
- We were first described by French Zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson as the Gingi’s Parakeet in 1760 after Gingee town in Southeastern India.
- Swedish Zoologist Carl Linnaeus named us Alexandrine Parakeet in 1766.
- We are quite famous in our range. In Thailand, Mongolia and Iran, there are Postal stamps depicting us.
- Our beak might look cute but, it is really strong. We can bite through the toughest nuts using our beak.
- Our green body is not only attractive but is an excellent camouflage in the green forests that we live in.
SOME QUICK FACTS ABOUT US:
Our Scientific Name: Psittacula Eupatria.
Identification: medium-sized green parrots with red patch on the shoulder.
Our Habitat: forests, agricultural lands, and woodlands.
Our Range:
Food Habits: Herbivorous; feed on buds, nuts, fruits, and various cultivated crops.
Breeding Period: November to April.
Number of eggs laid: 2-4 eggs.
Incubation period: about 24 days.
Lifespan: up to 40 years.
IUCN red list status: Near Threatened.
CITES: Appendix II.
Indian Wildlife Protection Act: Schedule IV.
SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittaculidae
Genus: Psittacula
Species: P. eupatria
COMPLETE DETAILS ABOUT US FOR ANIMAL ENTHUSIASTS:
We are the playful and talkative Alexandrine Parakeets. We are named after the famous emperor Alexander. We are also called as Alexandrine parrots. Let us tell you more about our family.
Alexandrine Parakeet’s scientific name is Psittacula Eupatria.
HOW WE LOOK:
We are gentle birds measuring 56 to 62 cm in length and weigh 200 to 300 gm. We are sexually dimorphic which means male and female of our species differ in looks.
Males of our species are mostly green in color with a light blue to grey color sheen on our cheeks and back of the neck, whereas females lack this characteristic. We also have a red patch on our shoulder and red beak with a yellow tip. The tail is green in color too but with the yellow color underside. The young of our species look similar to adult female but small.
WE ARE FOUND IN:
We prefer living in forests, agricultural lands, and woodlands as small flocks. Our range lies in South and western India as well as Sri Lanka.
WHAT WE EAT:
We are herbivores and live mostly eating buds, nuts, fruits, etc. Since we also live near agricultural lands we also feed on various cultivated crops.
OUR REPRODUCTION:
We are monogamous birds (having a single mate in a lifetime) and we live in small groups. Our breeding time is from November to April and the females lay eggs in tree hollows or cracks in the buildings. Generally, 2-4 small eggs are laid at a time with an incubation period of 24 days. Incubation is done by both the parents.
The young chicks are taken care of and fed by both the parents.
The young chicks go out of the nest at about 7 weeks of age and become independent at 3-4 months of age. They reach sexual maturity at 3-4 years of age. Our lifespan is expected to be up to 40 years.
MORE ABOUT US:
Like many parrots we can speak a few words and sentences and are quite playful and talkative.
We can learn tricks and acrobats quickly and are very loyal to our caretakers.
We can solve puzzles and challenges.
We have a powerful beak and we can be aggressive sometimes towards other birds.
We have excellent mimicking abilities and can copy any sound.
OUR CONSERVATION:
We might look like any other parrots which are abundantly available, but we are not. Our populations have declined due to excessive habitat loss and capture.
We are listed as “near threatened” species in IUCN red list. We are also listed in CITES Appendix II as well as Schedule IV of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Though our sale is banned in India, we are sold in many parts of the country.
