PARAKEETS

LARGE PARAKEET
SIZE;pigeon; length (including long pointed tail) 50cm(20 in); female somewhat smaller.
FIELD CHARACTERS; A large grass-green parakeet with typical massive hooked red bill, and conspicuous deep crimson patch on wing-shoulders (secondary coverts). Male has a prominent rose-pink collar on hind neck, joined to lower mandible by a broad black band. Female lacks both pink collar and black band.
STATUS, HABITAT, ETC; Resident; locally nomadic, depending on food supply. Duars and low foothills, rarely as high as 1500m-forest and wooded country. Small flocks; large congregations where food abundant. Roosts communally in large leafy trees. Flight swift and direct though seemingly unhurried.
FOOD; fruits, vegetables, grains-wild and cultivated. Often damages orchards and grain fields.
CALL; loud, high-pitched, screaming keeak or kee-arr, deeper and more sonorous than of the commoner Rose ringed species; uttered from perch or wings.
REDBREASTED PARAKEET
SIZE; pigeon; length (including tail) 40cm (16in).
FIELD CHARACTERS; A long and pointed-tail grass-green parakeet with grayish pink head and wine-red throat and breast. A prominent yellow shoulder patch where crimson in large Parakeet. Female has the head tinged with blue-green with less plum-colored bloom; breast redder and darker without vivacious tinge; bill largely black (v. largely yellow in male).
STATUS, HABITAT, ETC; Resident, with local nomadic movement governed by food supply. Duars and foothills up to 1500m-moist-deciduous secondary forest, and neighborhood of jhoom or shifting cultivation. Usually parties of up to 10 or so; occasionally larger rabbles as when raiding ripening paddy or orchard fruit. Flies from branch to branch in a tree with a muffled whirr of wings, and clambers among the foliage; its presence often revealed only by the gentle patter of leaves and gnawed fruit drooping below in the process.
FOOD; fruits, leaf buds, fleshy flower petals, and cereals.
CALL; short nasal screams, kaink, kaink…. Quickly repeated, often by several birds in chorus as they fly off on disturbance
EASTERN BLOSSOMEDHEADED PARAKEET
SIZE; myna; overall length (including long pointed tail) 35cm(14 in).
FIELD CHARACTERS; A slender grass-green parakeet with bright bluish pink and lilac head, a narrow black collar, and red patches on wing-shoulders (coverts). Broad yellowish white tips to narrow blue central tail-feathers conspicuous in flight. Female has the head duller and grayer surrounded by a yellow collar. No red shoulder-patches.
STATUS, HABITAT, ETC; Resident, with the usual nomadism governed by food supply. Duars and foothills, normally up to 600m, exceptionally to 1500m: well-wooded country, light forest and neighborhood of jhoom cultivation. Usually small parties; sometimes-large congregations at ripening cereal crops. Flight straight, arrow like, with adroit twists and turns in unison to avoid tree-trunks etc.

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