Blossom-headed parakeet
| Blossom-headed parakeet | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Psittaciformes |
| Family: | Psittaculidae |
| Genus: | Psittacula |
| Species: | P. roseata
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| Binomial name | |
| Psittacula roseata Biswas, 1951
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| Synonyms | |
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The Blossom-headed parakeet, Psittacula roseata or Himalayapsitta roseata, is a parrot in the family Psittaculidae. It has a lime green body and a pink or bluish grey-head and is found in Southeast Asia. This species is sometimes also referred to as Rosy-headed parakeet. Biswamoy Biswas, an Indian ornithologist, is credited as the authority on this species due to his contributions researching the birds of Nepal and Bhutan.
Taxonomy
[edit]The Psittacula genus, introduced in 1800 by naturalist Georges Cuvier, includes 16 species of parrots and parakeets. The genus name Psittacula is derived from the latin word psittacus, or “parrot”. A revised classification of the genus by Michael Braun and coauthors in 2019 split the genus into multiple monophyletic genera.[2] The proposed genus, Himalayapsitta, includes the Plum-headed parakeet, Grey-headed parakeet, Slaty-headed parakeet, and the Blossom-headed parakeet. This taxonomic system is currently followed by the IUCN Red List.
Two subspecies of the Blossom-headed parakeet are recognized:[3]
- P. r. (H.r.) roseata - Biswas, 1951 – West Bengal (India) to Bangladesh
- P. r. (H.r.) juneae - Biswas, 1951 – Northeast India and North Myanmar to Indochina
Description
[edit].JPG)
Himalayapsitta roseata is a lime-green parrot,[4] 30 cm (12 in) long with a tail up to 18 cm (7.1 in). It weighs on average 2.9 - 3.1 oz (85 - 90 g).[5]
The male's head, cheeks, and ears are pink becoming pale blue towards the back of the crown and nape. There is a narrow black neck collar and a black chin stripe. There is a reddish brown shoulder spot on the inner middle wing coverts. Long, central tail feathers are blue and tipped with pale yellow. Side tail feathers are yellow green and tipped with pale yellow. The upper mandible is orange yellow, and the lower mandible is a dark grey. Eyes are pale yellow.[5]
The female H.r. roseata differs with a pale blue grey head and the black neck collar is instead yellow green. The red shoulder spot is smaller among females, the upper mandible is yellow, and the lower bill is a dark grey.[5]
H.r. juneau is similar in description to H.r. roseata, except it has a more yellowish plumage and the red wing patch is larger.[6] The central tail feathers are paler in colour and the side tail feathers are more yellow.[5]
Immature, juvenile birds have a green head and a grey chin. Both mandibles are yellowish and there is no red shoulder patch.[7] Juvenile birds have grey eyes.[5]
The different head colour and the yellow tip to the tail distinguish this species from the similar Plum-headed parakeet (H. cyanocephala).
Distribution and habitat
[edit]
This species is a resident breeder in Southeast Asia. The range expands from Eastern Bangladesh, Bhutan, Northeast India and Nepal, eastwards into Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and also China.[1] It is a non-migratory bird and lives year round in the same range.[8]
The blossom-headed parakeet inhabits lowland and foothill open forests.[4] It occurs in altitudes around 1500m and in light forests such as savannas, secondary growth forests, forest edges, clearings, and cultivated areas.[9] In Thailand, the Blossom-headed parakeet is common in cultivated land and forest outskirts.[6]
Behaviour and ecology
[edit]The Blossom-headed parakeet nests in holes in trees, laying 4-5 white eggs. It undergoes local movements, driven mainly by the availability of the fruit and blossoms which make up its diet[10] The species is normally found moving in small flocks or in family groups, and often in the company of Moustached parakeets.[6]
Blossom-headed parakeet class are described as having a range of raucous calls, sometimes being gregarious and noisy[11] or soft and melodic much like the Plum-headed parakeet (H. cyanocephala).[5]
Bibliography
[edit]- Grimmett, Inskipp y Inskipp, Birds of India ISBN 0-691-04910-6
- Josep del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott, Jordi Sargatal (Hrsg.): Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 4: Sandgrouse to Cuckoos. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, 1997. ISBN 8487334229
- Joseph Michael Forshaw: Parrots of the World - An Identification Guide. Princeton University Press, Princeton 2006, ISBN 978-0-691-09251-5.
External links
[edit]- Ouseaux (in French)
- Tutto pappagalli (in Italian)
References
[edit]- Birds of India by Grimmett, Inskipp and Inskipp, ISBN 0-691-04910-6
- ^ a b BirdLife International (2017) [amended version of 2016 assessment]. "Himalayapsitta roseata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T22685486A111365871. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T22685486A111365871.en. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
- ^ Braun, Michael P.; Datzmann, Thomas; Arndt, Thomas; Reinschmidt, Matthias; Schnitker, Heinz; Bahr, Norbert; Sauer-Gürth, Hedwig; Wink, Michael (2019-03-04). "A molecular phylogeny of the genus Psittacula sensu lato (Aves: Psittaciformes: Psittacidae: Psittacula, Psittinus, Tanygnathus, †Mascarinus) with taxonomic implications". Zootaxa. 4563 (3): 547–562. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4563.3.8. ISSN 1175-5334.
- ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2023). "Parrots, cockatoos". IOC World Bird List Version 13.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
- ^ a b ebird
- ^ a b c d e f "Blossom-headed Parakeet (Himalayapsitta roseata) | Parrot Encyclopedia". www.parrots.org. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
- ^ a b c Remington, Warwick (2011). "Blossom-headed parakeet Psittacula roseate". Australian aviculture. 65 (8): 190.
- ^ Word Parrot Trust
- ^ Collar, Nigel; Kirwan, Guy M.; Boesman, Peter F. D. (2020). "Blossom-headed Parakeet (Psittacula roseata), version 1.0". Birds of the World. doi:10.2173/bow.blhpar3.01species_shared.bow.project_name. ISSN 2771-3105.
- ^ Zhang, Jiansong; Zhao, Chenguang; Zu, Lingling; Duan, Yubao (2020-07-02). "The first complete mitochondrial genome of Blossom-headed Parakeet Psittacula roseata (Psittaciformes: Psittacidae)". Mitochondrial DNA Part B. 5 (3): 3457–3459. doi:10.1080/23802359.2020.1825131. ISSN 2380-2359. PMC 7782874. PMID 33458203.
- ^ "Blossom-headed Parakeet". Animalia. November 21, 2024.
- ^ xeno-canto