Alexandrine Parakeet

The Alexandrine parakeet is one of the largest parakeets, 56–62cm long including a tail of 28–35cm, and weighing 200–300g. It is mainly green, with a blue-grey sheen on the cheeks and nape, a yellow-green belly, a red shoulder patch and a massive red bill with a yellow tip. The tail shades from green to blue and is yellow at the tip and below. Adult males have a black stripe across the lower cheeks and a pink band on the nape, both lacking in females and young birds (Wikipedia, general species account).

It lives in forest, woodland, farmland and mangroves up to about 900m and eats a variety of wild and cultivated seeds, buds, fruit and nuts; flocks can damage crops. It is named after Alexander the Great, who is said to have taken many of these birds from Punjab to Europe and the Mediterranean, where they were prized by royalty. Feral populations are established in the Middle East and parts of Europe. In India it is resident across a very large range; SoIB 2023 estimates a long-term increase of about 109% and rates it a Low conservation priority (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).