From Opus

Psittacula cyanocephala

Photo by Rajiv Lather

[edit] Identification

33 cm long with a tail up to 22cm. The male's head is red, and purple-blue on the back of the crown, nape and cheeks. It has a black chin stripe and narrow black neck collar. It has a red shoulder patch; the tail and rump are blue green, and the tail is tipped with white. The upper mandible is orange-yellow while the lower mandible is dark. The female's head is grey, yellow upper mandible. She does not have the neck collar, chin stripe or shoulder patch. Juveniles have a green head and both mandibles are yellow.
Males are unmistakable, females could be confused with Blossom-headed Parakeet but ranges are probably not overlaping.

[edit] Distribution

	Found in the Indian Subcontinent, mainly in India (except Thar desert and East), Sri Lanka, also in the hill zone of Nepal and W Bhutan, NE Pakistan and maybe in W Bangladesh. Common in parts of its range.
	Legend • P. cyanocephala; year-round Maps/Texts consulted1,2,3,4

[edit] Taxonomy

Usually regarded as monotypic. From N to S the head and rump of the birds are becoming darker, but this seems to be clinal. Proposed subspecies bengalensis (N India) therefore not accepted by most authors.

[edit] Habitat

Moist deciduous forest, open woodland and adjacent clearings and cultivations. Found in from the lowlands up to ca. 1300m.

[edit] Behaviour

A quite frugivorous parakeet, also taking small to large seeds. Sometimes seen in cultivated area in flocks of several hundred, bringing damage to crops (rice, sorghum, maize, vegetables and orchards).
Breeding season is from December to April, in Sri Lanka also sometimes from July to August. The nest is made in tree holes, often in small colonies in a group of trees. 4 - 5 eggs are layed, rarely 6. Incubation takes 24 days, the nestling period 6 weeks.
The species is resident, but some food-related movement can occur.

[edit] References

1. Rasmussen, P.C. and Anderton, J.C. 2005. Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide. Washington D.C. and Barcelona: Smithsonian Institution and Lynx Editions. ISBN 84-87334-67-9
2. Grimmett, R., Inskipp, C. and Inskipp, T. 1998. Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. London: Christopher Helm. ISBN 0-7136-4004-9
3. Kazmierczak, K. and Singh, R. 2001: A Birdwatcher's Guide to India. New Dehli: Oxford University Press. ISBN 019-565285-1
4. del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A. and Sargatal, J. eds. 1997. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 4. Sandgrouse to Cuckoos. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 84-87334-22-9

[edit] External Links