AVIS-IBIS

Birds of Indian Subcontinent

1500. Psittacula krameri manillensis

(1500) Psittacula krameri manillensis.

THE Rose-Ringed PAROQUET,

Palaeornis manillensis Bechst., Stubenvog., p. 612 (1794) (Ceylon, Neumann). Palaeornis torquatus. Blanf. & Oates, iii, p. 250 (part).

Vernacular names. Tota, Lybar iota (Hind.) ; Gallar (in N.W.P.); Ragu (Mahr.); Chilluka (Tel.); Killi (Tam.); Ranae girawa (Cing.) ; Chatun (Sind).

Description. - Male. Head bright green, changing to pale blue-on the sides of the neck, above and behind the ear-coverts; a narrow line of black bordering the base of the bill and running back to the eye; chin and throat black, running back and up, the sides of the neck, where it meets a narrow rose-coloured collar; upper parts bright grass-green, bluish next the rose collar and very bright on the rump and upper tail-coverts central tail-feathers greenish-blue, more green at the base and narrowly tipped with yellow ; lateral tail-feathers more and more green towards the outermost; wings green, the lesser and median coverts faintly washed blue, the greater coverts and quills much darker green, the outer primaries narrowly edged with yellowish and the inner webs and tips blackish ; lower plumage a paler, more grey-green colour, than the back; the vent, thigh-coverts, under wing-coverts and axillaries yellowish.

Colours of soft parts. Iris pale yellow ; upper mandible coral-red, lower mandible nearly black, generally paler at the tip and tinged with red on the gonys in a few cases ; legs and feet ashy-slate to greenish-slate.

Measurements. Wing, 156 to 171 mm.,151 to 161 mm.; tail, 216 to 224 mm., 181 to 194 mm.; tarsus 16 to 17 mm. ; culmen 23 to 25 mm.

Female has no black on the chin, throat and head and no rose-colour.

Young birds are like the female but have the head a duller green. The rose-coloured ring and black are acquired in the spring of the third year.

Distribution. Oeylon ; South India to Orissa, Western Bengal, Punjab, North-West Provinces and the base of the Himalayas to Bihar.

Nidification, The Rose-ringed Paroquet breeds over the whole of its area in February and March, a few pairs as early as February and a few others as late as April. The eggs are laid in hollows in trees either natural or cut out by the birds themselves, in the latter case the entrance being a fairly neat circular hole about two inches or rather more in diameter. Occasionally deserted nests of Woodpeckers and Barbets are used. The hole selected may be at any height from the ground and a very favourite site is a hollow in a Mango-tree in a grove, though, provided the hollow is satisfactory, a tree anywhere in garden, field or open country will be made use of. It also quite commonly breeds in holes in old walls and buildings. The eggs number four to six and are of the usual type. One hundred eggs average 30.5 x 24.3 mm.: maxima 34.1 x 25.0 and 31.3 x 25.7 mm.; minima 28.0 x 23.0 and 28.7 x 22.9 mm.

Habits. This is the most widely-spread and best known of all our Indian Paroquets, being common in all open, well-wooded country round about towns, villages and cultivation. Its rapid, graceful flight and loud screaming cries are known to everyone and it is a bold bird which so far from shunning observation seems to court it. It has a habit, like so many Paroquets, of collecting in vast numbers at certain favourite roosting-places, sometimes in company with Crows, Mynas and other birds and the noise in the mornings and evenings at such places is very great. Hutton describes the courting habits of this Paroquet and his description would apply equally well to any other species. He says : " The female of this species becomes the most affected of creatures, twisting herself into all sorts of ridiculous positions . . . uttering a low twittering note the while . . . her wings half spread and her head rolling from side to side." He applies this description to the female only but both sexes employ the same demonstrations, the male more often than the female. They are entirely grain- and fruit-eaters, often doing immense damage to crops and they are certainly birds which do not need any protection.

BookTitle: 
The Fauna Of British India, Including Ceylon And Burma-birds(second Edition)
Reference: 
Baker, EC S (1922–1930) The fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma. Second edition. vol.4 1927.
Title in Book: 
1500. Psittacula krameri manillensis
Book Author: 
Edward Charles Stuart Baker
CatNo: 
1500
Year: 
1927
Page No: 
202
Common name: 
Indian Rose Ringed Paraquet
M_ID: 
11909
M_SN: 
Psittacula krameri manillensis
Volume: 
Vol. 4
Term name: 
id: 
20759

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