Alexandrine Parakeet

The Alexandrine Parakeet Psittacula eupatria is a member of the order Psittaciformes and the family Psittacidae. She is a medium-sized parrot with a very long and thin tail.

The latter gives it a very elegant and classic look. Its beak, a beautiful salmon red, is rather large for its size. Its plumage is green, and its wings, are dark green with a salmon-red patch at the shoulder.

• Species name: Alexandrine parakeet
• Latin name: Psittacula euphoria
• Country of Origin: India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Andaman Islands (Parrots in Aviculture by Rosemary Low)
• Distribution on the market: fairly well-distributed bird; a few generations of captive breeding
• Alexandrine parakeet size: reaches 58 cm including the tail, which can reach a length of 36 cm (14 in)
• Weight: 250g
• Number of eggs in the brood: 2 to 4
• Number of Broods per year: 2 or 3
• Egg incubation time: about 24 days
• Age of first flight (in the wild): 7 weeks (feathers fully developed)
• Average healthy weaning age: 10 to 14 weeks
• Age of sexual maturity: 3 to 5 years
• Alexandrine parakeet lifespan: 25 to 40 years

Description

Bill red; head green shading to grey on the nape and lower face; black chin and malar bar to the side of the neck was replaced by a broad pink-red bar round hindneck; upper body yellow-green shading deeper on wings and belly;

long reddish patch on lesser wing-coverts; tail green basally shading through pale blue-green to ­yellowish tip, with outer feathers green with yellowish tips.

Female duller, with no black on the chin or pink collar. Immature like a female. Race nipalensis larger, purportedly with more blue than grey in the head; magnirostris has a larger bill, narrow blue band above the pink collar, brighter wing patch; Avensis has yellowish neck; siamensis has yellowish-green face and neck, with blue wash on nape; last three all have narrower black markings on chin and neck.

Alexandrine parakeet Habitat

Dry and moist deciduous lowland forest and wooded areas including mangroves, coconut plantations, and old gardens, penetrating desert regions where trees grow by water, normally rising to 800 m, in places at least occasionally to 1600 m, occupying the subtropical pine zone of Pinus roxburghii in Pakistan; at least formerly occupied mangroves in the Sunderbans, Bangladesh.

It is believed that the Alexandrine parakeet was originally found in Punjab, a province of Pakistan. Eventually, the bird was exported to European and Mediterranean regions and cherished by nobles and royalty.

Since then, the bird and its subspecies have become naturalized in a plethora of countries. It is particularly common in southern England, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Resident, but also nomadic and locally migratory in N India.

Alexandrine parakeet Behavior

(ranked on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the highest)

• Personality: (2-5) The Alexandrine Parakeet is very gentle, calm, and quiet; she is generally not an intimidating bird. Although she is large for a medium-sized bird and has a large beak, she may feel intimidated by a small, aggressive bird. The female, on the other hand, can be very territorial and aggressive as an adult when challenged or when her hormone levels are high.
• Sociability: (7-9) The Alexandrine Parakeet is shy and therefore prefers a peaceful environment. However, I have known a few who lived in large families with teenagers who moved around them a lot, and they developed very well. If you’re looking for an energetic bird that loves to play, the Alexandrine Parakeet isn’t exactly the species for you. Unlike the lovebird, which is like a teenager racing through the house on inline skates while talking with the phone glued to one ear and listening to its iPod with the other, the Alexandrine Parakeet is the calm teenager who reads her book at the kitchen table.
• Tameness and Gentleness: (7 to 10) I believe the Alexandrine Parakeet is one of the gentlest and friendliest birds I have hand-fed. Moreover, even if they were a little nervous at first, the birds placed in a breeding situation remained tame and gentle when they became companion birds again.
• Familiar bird: (5 to 8) Although the Alexandrine parakeet is not usually the type of bird to go out of its way and bite out of jealousy or possessiveness, it is not recommended for a family with inexhaustible children .
• Cheerfulness: (2 to 6) This bird loves looking for treats in its toys, and above all, chewing wood.
• Tendency to bite: In general, if the Alexandrine Parakeet is well behaved and feels safe, it will not bite.
• Physical contact and display of affection: (6 to 8) This bird is a real charmer; he loves to cling to your sweater at chest level waiting for a good head scratching.
• Ability to sing: none
• Loudness of screams: (6) Frequency: (4)
• The tone of calls: (8-10) hoarse or very piercing
• Ability to speak and repeat human words: (5-7) The Alexandrine Parakeet has a very soft, feminine voice. The majority of these birds learn an average of 10 to 20 different words.
• Quality of pronunciation: (8-10) generally quite good
• Destructive Behavior: (4) If you give it plenty of wood to chew on, this bird usually doesn’t go out of its way to destroy its surroundings.
• Chewing: (10) This bird usually chews more wood than the large macaw, and it even chews it faster than it!
• Level of independence reached by this species: (6 to 9) Some birds are happy to be in the same room as you, while others prefer to interact individually with you. This behavior obviously depends on how the bird is raised. As with other species, we advise you to teach your Alexandrine parakeet to play on its own in order to develop its independence and autonomy.
• Damage with Food and Droppings: (7) Although it doesn’t actually throw its food, the Alexandrine Parakeet does damage with its food and water bowls. Like most parrots in Indonesia, she loves to dip her food. His droppings are however normal; it does no damage.
• Tendency to Damage Feathers: (0-2) This is unusual behavior for this bird.

Generally loud and harsh, or piercing, and repertoire very varied. Calls include a nasal “kyah”, a piercing “keeh”, a rolling “rrrrah” or “currree”, etc. Calls usually repeated in well-spaced loose series, but also involve squabbling conversational strophes.

Warning: It is important to mention that, twice a year, your Alexandrine parakeet will look neglected as if it had just woken up and had not had time to groom itself. Don’t worry, it’s moulting time. It lasts about three weeks. During this period, in addition to providing him with high quality food, I advise you to also give him two almonds in their shells to help him moult.

Pierre the Alexandrine Parakeet (LOOK HOW SMART!)

SOURCE: BirdTricks

Sexual dimorphism

The male has a beautiful collar around his neck, which is salmon pink at the back and black at the front. The black part rises to the lower corners of the beak.

WARNING: If the sex of the bird is important in your choice, it is recommended that you have the nestlings DNA tested to determine the sex, as the collar may appear at the age of three or four months, it may appear only after the age of three.

Juvenile: The juvenile resembles a female; he has no collar around his neck. Its tail is short, however, and its eyes are brown instead of cream.

Nov–Apr. Nest in a hole in coconut palm or large softwood like Salmalia, sometimes the hardwood Shorea and Dalbergia, and mangroves Sonneratia and Heretiera; Terminalia recorded in Sri Lanka. Normally 3–4 eggs, but 2–3 in Andamans; incubation 19–21 days.

Alexandrine parakeet Color

Dark green, gray-green, turquoise, blue, lutino, gray-green lutino, albino, gray albino, fallow, pale-headed, and footed fallow.
Note: These mutations and color combinations are typical of the original Psittacula eupatria. They are not found on hybrid birds, a mix between Psittacula krameri (Indian ring-necked parakeet) and Psittacula eupatria.

Alexandrine parakeet Care

• Dimensions of the day cage: A birdcage should be spacious, secure, and frequently cleaned. The minimum dimensions are usually 91.4 x 61 cm, to allow the bird to move and exercise. Due to the Alexandrine Parakeet’s long tail, the cage should be at least 36 inches high.
  CAUTION: Be sure to check the strength of the cage mesh due to the phenomenal strength of the Alexandrine Parakeet’s beak.
• Cage location: Keep the cage in a safe place away from hazards such as direct sunlight, kitchen smoke, cold temperatures, and predators.
• Roost Cage Dimensions: Since this is a roost cage, a 12″ x 12″ cage is sufficient if the height provides enough space for the tail feathers of the l ‘bird. It can also be used as a care cage if your bird gets sick.
• Encouragement of physical activity: The cage should preferably be equipped with horizontal bars, as these encourage the bird to climb. An open-top cage with play space is not recommended for this bird since it will probably sit too high for you to reach when it comes time to put it back in its cage. However, a play area and flight exercises are strongly recommended. An indoor aviary is easily built using heavy-gauge wire mesh.
  Secure the home from any hazards, such as mirrors, open windows, and fans, before letting your bird fly freely, and always supervise it when it flies.
• The appropriate size of perches: Your bird should have access to at least three perches of different sizes, shapes, or textures. The ideal combination, however, is a 3 cm diameter perch, a manzanita perch, and a chew perch. The Alexandrine Parakeet chews a lot, so it can chew on almost any type of perch. I have therefore rarely seen parakeets developing pododermatitis, ie a plantar abscess.
• Additional items: You can also provide your bird with toys that encourage exploration, preferably acrylic, as well as plenty of chewing wood, fresh branches, lumber, wooden toys, etc.
• Water dispenser: The bird’s water should ideally be changed twice a day. It is important to train the Alexandrine Parakeet to drink from a water bottle as well as a water bowl, as they tend to put a lot of food in their water bowl. Additionally, the majority of Asian parrots do a lot of messing with their food and water bowl.

Alexandrine parakeet Diet

Fruits, e.g. guavas (Psidium guajava), and seeds, the nectar of Salmalia, Butea, and Erythrina, fleshy petals of Bassia latifolia, and young leaves of vegetables. Flocks do considerable damage to orchards and ripening cereal crops. Over 70% of food in the stomachs of birds from agricultural areas, W Pakistan, was from cultivated sources.

The bird should be provided with a nutritionally balanced diet consisting of 70% processed pellets, 10% seed mix or millet, 15% fruits, vegetables, rice, pasta, etc., and 5% walnuts, one almond or one walnut per day except during molting periods when you can give him two or three almonds in their shell.

You can also give him dried eggs mixed with dried insects. Regular seed mixes can lead to obesity and calcium and vitamin deficiencies. Try to provide the bird with an elaborate diet or at least dietary supplements.

Lighting needed

The Alexandrine Parakeet should be exposed to full-spectrum lighting four to seven hours a day, and natural sunlight for as many hours as possible. This species also needs 12 to 14 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

CAUTION: Be sure to provide enough wood for your Alexandrine Parakeet to chew on, as this species chews more than most other parrot species. Pay attention to its claws; they are as sharp as little needles. However, do not cut them too short or too round as they allow him to perch solidly.

Time to devote per day to the bird

Ideally, you should spend at least three hours a day with your bird, divided between periods of training and playing alone with the bird, and periods of only being in the same room with him, in non-contact interaction.

Even if your busy schedule prevents you from spending quality time with your bird, he will patiently wait for you and will always be your friend when you give him time again. But don’t get used to it!

Vulnerability to disease

The Alexandrine Parakeet is generally a strong, healthy bird that does not get sick easily. It is very tolerant of cold temperatures since it is native to regions where it can snow. In a nursery, the Alexandrine parakeet is a joy to raise given its good state of health and its robustness.

Alexandrine Parakeet Price

It sells for between 700$ and 1,200$, depending on the color mutation.

SOURCE: Pets, Tourism, Emtertainment and Product Reviews