Blossom-headed parakeet

The blossom-headed parakeet is a parrot which is a resident breeder in Eastern Bangladesh, Bhutan, Northeast India and Nepal, eastwards into South-east Asia and also China. It undergoes local movements, driven mainly by the availability of the fruit and blossoms which make up its diet.

It has two subspecies, nominate and juneae Blossom-headed parakeet is a bird of forest and open woodland. It nests in holes in trees, laying 4-5 white eggs.

This is a green parrot, 30 cm long with a tail up to 18 cm. The male's head is pink becoming pale blue on the back of the crown, nape and cheeks. There is a narrow black neck collar and a black chin stripe.

There is a red shoulder patch and the rump and tail are bluish-green, the latter tipped yellow. The upper mandible is yellow, and the lower mandible is dark.

The female has a pale grey head and lacks the black neck collar and chin stripe patch. The lower mandible is pale. Immature birds have a green head and a grey chin. Both mandibles are yellowish and there is no red shoulder patch.

The different head colour and the yellow tip to the tail distinguish this species from the similar plum-headed parakeet (Psittacula cyanocephala).

Blossom-headed parakeet is a gregarious and noisy species with range of raucous calls.