About Psittacula alexandri (Linnaeus, 1758)
The red-breasted parakeet, scientifically named Psittacula alexandri, is a parrot native to Southeast Asia. It is one of the most widespread species in the Psittacula genus, and has the largest amount of geographical variation among species of this genus. It can be easily recognized by the large red patch found on its breast. Depending on the subspecies, it is also sometimes called the moustached parakeet as an alternative name. Most of its subspecies are restricted to very small islands or island groups in Indonesia. One subspecies lives in the Andaman Islands, and another subspecies is found in continental Southeast Asia, with its range partially extending into the northeastern parts of South Asia along the Himalayan foothills. Some of the island subspecies may face threats from the wild bird trade. The nominate subspecies, which lives in Java, is nearly extinct. Feral populations of this parrot have now become established in cities including Mumbai and Singapore. Small populations also exist in other Indian cities such as Chennai and Bangalore.
