12

Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) Alternate name(s): "Ring-necked Parakeet" Size: 38-42 cm (incl. tail 18-23 cm); wing span 42-48 cm Body mass: 95-143 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.25-0.35

Oman: Family Group 12 Family Group 12 Table Ring-necked Parakeet Thumbnails page Classification table Index of bird names Birds of Oman home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Rose-ringed Parakeets are almost entirely green medium-sized parrots with an extremely long tail. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e. males and females are slightly different. Male Rose-ringed Parakeets have a narrow black bar on their frons, a black chin and two adjacent narrow black and pink neck rings, of which the pink one only shows on the nape of the neck. They have prominent brown eye-rings on an otherwise green head. Their upperparts are bluish-grey-green. The undertail coverts are yellowish-green. Females only have an inconspicuous green neck ring on green background and show much less grey hues in their green body plumage. The irises are dark-brown. The bill has a dark-red upper mandible and a reddish-brown lower mandible. The legs and feet are grey. Juveniles resemble females, but have no visible neck ring yet, a shorter bill and also a shorter tail.

Taxonomy, classification See Rose-ringed Parakeet at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Rose-ringed Parakeet is available HERE . There are a few races of Rose-ringed Parakeets. Nominate race "krameri" (the "African Rose-ringed Parakeet"), populates almost all of sub-Saharan Africa, from the West coast to near the East coast, where race "parvirostris" is found. Race "manillensis" (the "Indian Rose-ringed Parakeet") populates the southern Indian subcontinent, while race "boreus" is found in Pakistan, northern India, Bangladesh, Nepal and on to central Myanmar. Rose-ringed Parakeets are one of the most invasive species on Earth. There are several introduced populations in various parts of the globe. Rose-ringed Parakeets have established themselves in large parts of Europe, in the eastern Mediterranean, and along the Australian East coast and are expanding around other urban centres (Singapore, Miami, Los Angeles, Tokio) as well. The population of Rose-ringed Parakeets found in Arabia are most likely introduced, probably the Indian race "manillensis", although colonization from Pakistan via the Strait of Hormuz cannot entirely be ruled out. Rose-ringed Parakeets spend much time in tall trees, either in native forest, in urban parks, or e.g. in date palm plantations.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "manillensis"(?) Rose-ringed Parakeets, race "manillensis", are the only parrot species found in Oman. They are a common sight on the Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, where they were spotted by us on a daily basis in the timeframe August 2009 - May 2010.

Photos

Race "manillensis"

ADULT

PAIR

Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism, i.e., male and female have differing appearances which can be quite subtle.
Note the male Rose-ringed Parakeet's prominent black and pink neck rings, left, while the female only has an inconspicuous bottle-green neck ring.

Dorsal view of a pair of Rose-ringed Parakeets, with the male above and the female below
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

MALE

Near-frontal view of a male Rose-ringed Parakeet in a palm tree
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Close-up dorsal view of a male Rose-ringed Parakeet, as it takes a good look at the curious photographer
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Rose-ringed Parakeet; note the extreme length of the tail, which may be required to counterbalance the equally impressive bill
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Lateral/ventral view of a female Rose-ringed Parakeet in flight
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral/ventral view of a fledgling Rose-ringed Parakeet waiting patiently in a tree to be fed; note the not yet fully grown bill
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Feb - Jun(?)

Eggs: 3 - 4

Incubation period: 22 - 24 days

Fledging age: 40 - 45 days

Nest building: ?

Incubation: Female (& male)

Dependent care: Female (& male)

Nest

Type: (Tree) Hollow

Material: N/A

Height above ground: 4 - 12 m

Pair of Rose-ringed Parakeets at the entrance of its nest hollow (photo courtesy of G. Normand)

Female Rose-ringed Parakeet at the entrance of its nest hollow (photo courtesy of G. Normand)

Eggs

Size: ?

Colour: White

Shape: Rounded

Behaviour

Like many other parrots and cockatoos, Rose-ringed Parakeets engage in playful behaviour.

Why sit upright? This is much better for a low centre of gravity! Some Rose-ringed Parakeet acrobatics...
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]

Food, Diet

Like all parrots, Rose-ringed Parakeets are strictly vegetarian; they feed on fruit, nectar and seeds.

Male Rose-ringed Parakeet taking berries of a shrub
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]

On the Campus of Sultan Qaboos University Rose-ringed Parakeets find plenty of food
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]

There are different sources of seeds for Rose-ringed Parakeets
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, September 2009]

There is water too at SQU ...
[Campus of Sultan Qaboos University, near Muscat, November 2009]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

ringpar_20140424.mp3

manillensis?

Contact calls? (in captivity)

© MD

More Rose-ringed Parakeet sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.