About Psittacula cyanocephala (Linnaeus, 1766)
The plum-headed parakeet, scientifically named Psittacula cyanocephala (Linnaeus, 1766), is a predominantly green parrot. It measures 33 to 37 cm (13 to 15 in) in total length, weighs 55 to 85 g (1.9 to 3.0 oz), and has a tail reaching up to 22 cm (8.7 in) long. There are distinct plumage differences between adult males, adult females, and immature birds. Males have a red head that fades to purple-blue on the back of the crown, nape, and cheeks. They have a narrow black neck collar with verdigris below it on the nape, a black chin stripe extending from the lower mandible, a red shoulder patch, bluish-green rump and tail with the tail tipped white. Males also have an orangish-yellow upper mandible and a dark lower mandible. Females have a dull blueish-gray head, no black and verdigris neck collar (this is replaced by yellow), a corn-yellow upper mandible, and lack both the black chin stripe and red shoulder patch. Immature birds have a green head, yellowish mandibles on both upper and lower, and do not develop their dark adult head until one year old. The delicate bluish-red appearance of the male's head, which resembles the bloom on a peach, is created by a combination of blue from optical effects produced by feather rami and red pigment in the feather barbules. Some authors previously divided the species into two subspecies: the nominate subspecies from peninsular India, with its type locality restricted to Gingee, and the subspecies bengalensis from the Himalayan foothills, based on the observation that males from the foothills have heads that are more red and less blue. However, newer taxonomic works treat this species as monotypic, with no accepted subspecies. This species can be distinguished from the closely related blossom-headed parakeet (P. roseata) by its head color and white-tipped tail; in contrast, P. roseata has a maroon shoulder patch and a shorter tail tipped yellow. The supposed separate species intermediate parakeet (Psittacula intermedia) is currently thought to be a hybrid between the plum-headed parakeet and the slaty-headed parakeet (P. himalayana). The plum-headed parakeet inhabits forests and open woodlands, and it can even live in city gardens. Its native range extends from the Himalayan foothills south to Sri Lanka, and it is not found in the dry regions of western India. It is sometimes kept as a pet, and escaped individuals have been recorded in New York, Florida, and parts of the Middle East. This is a gregarious, noisy species that produces a range of raucous calls; its typical flight and contact call is a repeated tuink. Its flight is swift, and the bird often twists and turns rapidly. It makes small local movements that are driven mainly by the availability of its preferred food: fruits and blossoms. Its diet includes grains, fruits, and the fleshy petals of flowers such as Salmalia and Butea, and it sometimes raids agricultural fields and orchards. In India, the main breeding season runs from December to April, while in Sri Lanka it runs from July to August. Courtship behavior includes bill rubbing and courtship feeding. The breeding pair chisels out a nest hole in a tree trunk, and the female lays 4 to 6 white eggs. Only the female is responsible for incubating eggs and feeding hatchlings. Plum-headed parakeets roost communally. In captivity, this species can learn to mimic beeps, short whistling tunes, and can mimic speech very well. Two parasite species have been recorded from this species: Neoaulobia psittaculae, a quill mite, and Haemoproteus handai, a blood parasite described from blood samples taken from the plum-headed parakeet.
