Malabar Parakeet | Blue-winged Parakeet

 

         Introduction of Malabar Parakeet

     The Malabar Parakeet (Scientific name : Psittacula columboides) is a native bird of India. It is also known as the Blue-winged Parakeet. It is a medium sized bird. The average size of adult Malabar Parakeetis arround 14.8 inches in length. This species is  closely related  to Sri Lanka's endemic bird Layard's parakeet (Psittacula calthropae).

             How to identify Malabar Parakeet

     Color of plumage  of Malabar Parakeet is very  beautiful. Overall color of male is a bluish-gray with a  reddish-pink tint. Male has a double ring around the neck. Top ring is of  greenish dark gray color and the lower ring is a bright light blue. There is a tinge of green feathers  around the eyes which extend towards their beaks. The wings and tail feathers are dark blue and there is  a yellow tinge to the tips. Yellow also appears on the vent. The color of its heads is bluer in than other parts of their bodies.  Blue color is more prominent above the nares and on the cheeks. Color of beak is bright red and tip of the beak is yellow but lower mandible is brown. color of eyes are yellow. 

     The female Malabar Parakeets don't have  the collar or ring around their necks. Color of female's head is gray. The beak of the female is black.

     Young or immature parakeets can be easily recognized from adults by their orange beaks. They have plumage similar to that of the female which transforms in to adult plumage after their first molt. Head color of young is grey and upper parts are green . Black stripe across cheeks and around collar is duller and narrower and there is no blue or green band under black stripe.   Eyes are grey. 

               Habits and Habitats

 The Malabar Parakeet live in small groups. Each group generally composed of four to five individuals. But some times, they live in  small flocks also. They are very noisy. 

     Food

Berries and other fruits such as figs, flowers, leaf buds, seeds, small nuts and nectar are their main food.

    Call

 Calls are discordant and shrieky.. Sharp notes repeated in short bursts can also be heard.

    Distribution

   They are  commonly found in Southwest India, Western Ghats strip, south-western India, north to Bombay and  south to Kerala. 

               Breeding and Nesting

    Breeding season of the Malabar Parakeet starts in January and lasts up to march March. They like to make nest in holes in trees, especially of old woodpecker and barbet nests and generally choose atop tall trees in humid deciduous and evergreen forests. A clutch usually consists of 3 to 5 eggs and the incubation period is 23 days. The female  incubates the eggs. The chicks fledge after 3 weeks of age. 

                IUCN status of Malabar Parakeet

The population size is unknown but trend appears to be stable. It is in the Red List of IUCN and the species is evaluated as Least Concern. It is classified as a "restricted-range" species by the IUCN. But like the Alexandrine Parakeet, the main threat to this species is capturing for the illegal pet trade.