The plum-headed parakeet (Psittacula cyanocephala) is a species of parakeet in the family Psittacidae. It is endemic to the Indian subcontinent, from the foothills of the Himalayas to southern India and Sri Lanka, and inhabits forests, open woodland, and sometimes city gardens. It is a predominantly green bird, with a length of 33 to 37 centimetres (13 to 14+1⁄2 in) and a weight of 55 to 85 grams (2 to 3 oz). The male has a red head which shades to purplish-blue on the back of the crown, nape and cheeks, while the female has a bluish-gray head. The plum-headed parakeet is a gregarious and noisy species with swift twisting flight and a range of raucous calls. It feeds on grains, fruits, flower petals, sometimes also raiding agricultural fields and orchards. It nests in holes, chiselled out by the pair, in tree trunks, and courtship includes bill rubbing and courtship feeding. These male and female plum-headed parakeets were photographed in Jim Corbett National Park, in the Indian state of Uttarakhand.Photograph credit: Giles Laurent
Male plum-headed parakeet
Female plum-headed parakeet
