Plum-Headed Parakeet: Data, Footage, Persona, Meals & Care Information

The Plum-Headed Parakeet, Psittacula cyanocephala, combines an excellent, unique look with hardiness and an interesting persona. Though energetic and inquisitive, their calm and relaxed demeanor makes these South Asian natives fantastic pets and aviary additions.

Learn on to search out out why they’re probably the most standard hen pet selections on the planet.

Species Overview

Medium-sized parrots of singular magnificence, Plum Headed Parakeets make good pets, being much less aggressive and possessive than different species, and getting alongside properly with others. Whereas much less demanding of householders’ time than different parrots, they nonetheless require common interplay to keep up socialization.

These social birds can reside alone or in teams. Homeowners generally hold 2 to 4 parakeets collectively in a single enclosure. Excellent household pets, Plum Headed Parakeets thrive in conditions the place a number of persons are offering socialization and enrichment.

Plum-Headed Parakeet Traits

Historical past & Pure Habitat

Plum Headed Parakeets originate from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, and they are often discovered within the woodlands and forests of practically any well-wooded space aside from the excessive Himalayan mountains. Within the few circumstances during which they’ve been transplanted, Plum Headed Parakeets have succeeded in a wide range of climates everywhere in the world, having even been identified to ascertain small breeding populations.

Whereas wild numbers have regularly decreased with habitat loss, Plum-Headed Parakeets nonetheless thrive and usually are not threatened by extinction.

Issues to Know When Proudly owning a Plum-Headed Parakeet

Temperament

Plum Headed Parakeets are identified to be light, social, and affectionate, notably with their homeowners. With strangers, nevertheless, they are often somewhat aloof and unresponsive. Comparatively quiet for parrots, they could be a sensible choice for these in flats or different shut quarters with neighbors.

If hand-fed from infancy, Plum-Headed Parakeets can develop to be fairly tame and develop robust bonds with their homeowners. Whereas they’re typically much less demanding of devoted proprietor interplay than most parrots, a certain quantity of normal interplay stays necessary to maintain bonding.

In case you are inexperienced with Psittacula species, you must bear in mind that they usually endure a “bluffing” section throughout adolescence. Throughout bluffing, you’ll doubtless see elevated aggression, together with hissing, biting, and total resistance to interplay. Bluffing is strictly hormone-related and on no account an indicator of the hen’s eventual persona. It’s crucial throughout this time to disregard the hen’s cues and proceed common bonding behaviors, regardless of the response.

It solely lasts a couple of months, so it’s not that massive a deal. Plum-Headed Parakeets which are dealt with every day will keep tame and proceed to bond properly as soon as their hormones have stabilized.

Sounds, Speech & Vocalizations

Plum Headed Parakeets have well-known speaking talents, which might embody mimicking and reproducing human speech. They study properly and might imitate all types of phrases and phrases precisely, due to intelligence and a eager sense of listening to. Plum Headed Parakeets are fast learners with superior reminiscence retention and are identified to acknowledge sounds and reproduce them simply.

If correctly educated and socialized, can study to affiliate phrases with particular conditions or actions, and reply in flip. Additionally, vocalization is numerous and might incorporate a spread of whistles, chirps, squawks, and different sounds. Their distinct singing type is exclusive from different parrots.

Plum-Headed Parakeet Look

Plum Headed Parakeets are among the most superbly coloured birds you possibly can personal.

They’re sexually dimorphic, that’s their look will differ by gender.

Males have red-colored heads shifting to gray or, clearly, plum, to a bluish-purple behind the top, again of the neck, and cheeks. The male is definitely acknowledged by a slim black neck collar and a black chin stripe extending to the decrease jaw. Additionally they can present a pink shoulder patch.

Females exhibit a bluish-gray head with no black neck band, however somewhat a gradient pale-yellow collar. Youthful females have inexperienced heads and yellow mandibles. Each sexes have lengthy, slim, bluish tails shading to white on the very tip. The irises are black, and the legs are pale grey.

Caring for the Plum-Headed Parakeet

Plum-Headed Parakeets have a typically relaxed nature, permitting them to typically coexist peacefully with different birds in shared quarters resembling aviaries. Like different species, although, they’ll change into aggressive throughout breeding durations, particularly females, so they need to be monitored. Short-term separation could also be mandatory.

In captivity, they could exhibit preliminary shyness and timidity, though this may be overcome with common, constant coaching and every day interplay. Try to be conscious that, regardless of being sociable, they typically aren’t keen on being cuddled by their homeowners. Quite, yours will most likely be completely content material to easily sit in your shoulder and chat with you.

Protecting your Plum-Headed Parakeet’s plumage wholesome and clear is pretty easy. A flat container filled with water needs to be stored out there for normal bathing. Additionally, a bathe sprayer can be utilized to wash them two or thrice weekly. You must also have particular grooming instruments and objects to trim beaks and nails as mandatory.

Food regimen & Vitamin

Within the wild, these birds principally exist on fruit and seeds. In captivity, a weight loss plan consisting of high-quality seed and pellet combine, resembling an excellent small parrot feed mix, supplemented every day with recent, bird-safe vegetables and fruit will do them properly.

A Plum Headed Parakeet will eat as much as 1 tablespoon of meals per day. They do take pleasure in selection, so you possibly can experiment with meals like sprouts, leafy greens, and berries.

Branches from budding apple, pear, peach, and different fruit timber will please them, in addition to hold them occupied for hours. Plum-Headed Parakeets like to carry their meals in a single foot whereas perching with the opposite. Reducing vegetables and fruit into cubes of roughly 1 sq. inch will permit them to indulge on this.

Cage & Housing Necessities

Since they’re fast, energetic flyers, Plum Headed Parakeets do properly in bigger cages or aviaries. A cage minimal of 40 x 20 x 32 inches is sweet to accommodate a pair. Two softwood perches of a few half inch in diameter positioned at totally different heights within the cage present good roosting. Cage equipment resembling toys, meals dishes, and perches needs to be stored to a minimal, so there’s loads of room to maneuver with out crowding. Be sure that the cage is in a location away from drafts or dangerous fumes.

Branches from non-toxic timber needs to be offered for pure perches and to supply a possibility to chew on bark, leaves, and seeds, which they not solely love, however additional gives glorious beak train. These birds like to climb and are skillful, swish fliers. Thus, they do finest in out of doors or indoor aviaries, to allow them to keep energetic and have an attention-grabbing setting.  Whereas Plum-Headed Parakeets can get used to life in a big cage, they nonetheless can get sluggish in the event that they don’t have every day train out of the cage.

Though they’re present in tropic-like habitats, Plum-Headed Parakeets additionally continuously inhabit larger altitudes all through the Subcontinental area. You may be stunned at how well-adapted they’re to cooler temperatures. Out of doors housing can usually work out properly if warmth is offered to their house.

Your Plum-Headed Parakeet is mild-mannered and usually will get alongside properly in teams and with such neighbors as Java Rice Birds, Chinese language Quail, bigger finches, and comparable birds. Breeding pairs, nevertheless, are finest stored alone.

Train

As famous, it is suggested that your Plum-Headed Parakeets spend time outdoors of the enclosure day-after-day. They want the room to stretch out and use their wings, and this gives quite a lot of the train they want.

Contained in the enclosure, parakeets will also be supplied with climbing and chewing toys for extra train and enrichment all through their day. Some examples of those are ropes, swings, and ladders.

Parakeets thrive on constant enrichment and interplay. As we’ve stated, they are often educated to execute not solely methods but in addition obey instructions for naturally occurring actions resembling flying to sure spots and retrieving objects.

Well being & Situations

Plum-Headed Parakeets are a hardy and resilient species, however the next preventative well being measures ought to nonetheless be taken.

Widespread Sicknesses for this birds are:

If the habits or look of your parakeet appears irregular, it’s at all times a good suggestion to hunt medical care.

3 Little-Identified Info In regards to the Plum-Headed Parakeet

1. Throughout flight, Plum-Headed Parakeets change instructions quickly, twisting and turning whereas making distinctive sounds.

2. Chewing is sort of as interesting to them as flying. They’ll chew on something they’ll of their enclosure.

3. Traditionally, Plum-Headed Parakeets have been included in the identical group as Psittacula roseate, the Blossom-Headed Parakeet.

Conclusion

An interesting persona and set of character traits, gorgeous look, and nice social profile make the Plum-Headed Parakeet a most fulfilling member of the household. Beloved worldwide, they’re very intelligent and playful, straightforward to look after, and could be relied on to make the day brighter and extra attention-grabbing.

Featured Picture Credit score: Amol Subhash Rapte, Shutterstock