Ring-necked Parakeet

Ring-necked Parakeet	Male Mostly emerald green with very long tail, and pink and black neck ring.
Psittacula krameri
Length: 38-42 cm  (15-17")
Wing Span: 42-48 cm  (17-19")
Weight: 100-150 g  (3½-5½ oz)	Female Like the male, but no neck ring.
Breeding Pairs: 5 000
Present: All Year
Status: Green

Description

Originally from Africa and southern Asia and kept as caged birds, some Ring-necked Parakeets escaped and by the 1970s started breeding in south-eastern England. The largest population is at Esher, Surrey, and the roost holds up to 7000 birds.

In both sexes the plumage is bright emerald green, the hooked bill is crimson and their very long tail is a blue-green. The legs are greenish-grey.

The male differs from the female in that it has a pink and black neck ring and a blue nape.

Juveniles are like the female but yellowier and have a shorter tail.

Voice

	Call
	Quicktime mp3

Ring-necked Parakeets are very noisy and their call is a shrill screeching noise.

Feeding

The parakeet's diet consists of seeds, berries, fruits, flowers and nectar, but British birds also wild bird seeds and meat (such as bacon rind and meat from bone).

Nesting

Ring-necked Parakeets first bred in 1969.

The nest is usually in the hole of a tree and is made from wood debris and feathers.

The smooth, non-glossy white eggs are about 30 mm by 23 mm. The female incubates the eggs by herself. After the young hatch, they are fed by both parents.

Movements

Ring-necked Parakeets are mostly sedentary.

Conservation

Not a conservation species.

My Garden

Ring-necked Parakeets are thriving in the south-east of England owing to mild winters and a lack of predators. As yet they seem not to have a detrimental effect on native species, but only time will tell.

They are slowly spreading from their southern stronghold and are now seen as far north as Sheffield and Leeds; a pair nested and possibly bred in Sheffield in 2003.