The beautiful Plum-headed Parakeet (Psittacula cyanocephala) is a parakeet in the family Psittacidae. It is endemic to the Indian Subcontinent and was once thought to be conspecific with the blossom-headed parakeet (Psittacula roseata) but was later elevated to a full species. Plum-headed parakeets are found in flocks, and fly swiftly with twists and turns accompanied by their distinctive calls.
The plum-headed parakeet is a mainly green parrot, The male has a red head which shades to purple-blue on the back of the crown, nape and cheeks while the female has a blueish-gray head. There is a narrow black neck collar with verdigris below on the nape and a black chin stripe that extends from the lower mandible. There is a red shoulder patch and the rump and tail are bluish-green, the latter tipped white. The upper mandible is orangish-yellow, and the lower mandible is dark. The female has a dull bluish grey head and lacks the black and verdigris collar which is replaced by yellow. The upper-mandible is corn-yellow and there is no black chin stripe or red shoulder patch. Immature birds have a green head and both mandibles are yellowish. The dark head is acquired after a year.The delicate bluish red appearance resembling the bloom of a peach is produced by a combination of blue from the optical effects produced by the rami of the feather and a red pigment in the barbules
Size: about 8 inches in length and 13 inches long with a very long tail when fully grown
LifeSpan: about 30 years
Behavior & Temperament: They have a variety of natural twittering and shrill calls that are not too loud or repetitive. They can learn to mimic some basic sounds or words, although it’s not their specialty. They are very smart and love to learn new tricks. They are known as peaceful birds that get along well with other birds.
Plum headed parakeets are fast flyers and have high energy levels so giving them space is recommended. If confined to cages at all times, they can develop apathy and listlessness which in turn lead to dangerous sickness. Giving them free flight around the house and reserving their cage for rest and sleeping is a good practice.
Diet: Try our parakeet seed, Goldenfeast Australian blend, and supplement with some fresh fruits and green vegetables, cooked rice or chicken.
* Courtesy of Wiki
DNA Testing:
If there is no gender option listed for a bird on our website, that particular species is ‘monomorphic’, which means we’re unable to determine gender without purchasing DNA testing. DNA testing is an additional $149 per bird to guarantee preferred gender. DNA testing may add an additional 3-6 plus weeks to estimated delivery time to allow for gender results. See our FAQs for more info.
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