Plum-headed Parakeet

Looks how to spot one

Feathered; slim parakeet with a long, white-tipped tail

A slender, yellowish-green parakeet with a long graduated tail tipped in blue and white. Adult males have a deep plum-red head that turns violet-blue towards the back of the crown, a thin black chin strap and collar, and a small dark red shoulder patch. Hens have a soft blue-grey head and a yellow collar instead of black.12

Personality what they are like

A sociable, chatty bird that lives in flocks and often nests in colonies. In captivity it can pick up beeps, short whistled tunes and even words. It flies fast with quick twists and turns.21

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Needs room to fly. The World Parrot Trust suggests a walk-in aviary at least 3 m long, with swings, ladders, ropes, foot toys and chewable wood for play.1

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Provide bathing water and a steady supply of bird-safe chewables such as fir, pine, willow or elder wood, pine cones and vegetable-tanned leather toys.1

Home where they are happiest

A walk-in aviary with a minimum length of about 3 m.1

Food basics what goes in the bowl

A small-seed mix (canary seed, millet, oats, buckwheat, safflower) with soaked or sprouted sunflower, spray millet, green leaves and plenty of fruit, especially apple. In the wild it eats more fruit than most Asian parakeets, plus flowers, buds, nectar and seeds.1

Company who they like around

A flock species that often breeds in loose colonies and forages alongside other parakeets, so it does best with company of its own kind.12

The story where it all began

Brisson described this parakeet in 1760 and Linnaeus gave it a Latin name in 1766; the species name means 'dark-blue headed'. The Greek physician Ctesias, writing in the 5th century BC, probably described this very bird as one that could speak both an Indian language and Greek.2

Recognised by the official bits

IUCN Red List

Least Concern.1

CITES

Appendix II.1

Taxonomy

Described by Brisson in 1760 and named by Linnaeus in 1766. Once treated as the same species as the blossom-headed parakeet, now a full species with no subspecies.2