Alexandrine Parrots

Alexandrine parrot is named after Alexander the Great, who transported numerous birds from Punjab to various European and Mediterranean countries and regions, where they were prized by the royalty, nobility and warlords. It can be identified by a red patch on its shoulders and can live up to 25-30 years. Raucous and loud; gives piercing screeches and screams. Found in both dry and wet forest, typically in lowlands but occasionally in foothills.

Spotted in: Kapurthala, Punjab on Feb, 2022

Diet: It eats a variety of wild and cultivated seeds, buds, fruits and nuts. It usually lives in small flocks, but forms larger groups in areas where food is abundant or at communal roosts.

Current population status and trends: The Alexandrine parakeet is listed as near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) because of its steep population decline in its native range due to habitat loss, persecution and excessive capture to cater to the demands of the illegal wildlife trade. It is sporadic in South India, uncommon in Bangladesh, and declining in North Bengal and certain parts of Sri Lanka. It has suffered the greatest population declines in the Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan, Laos, northwestern and southwestern Cambodia, and Thailand

Source: 

1. Photographed by Vishal Bhatia

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandrine_parakeet