The rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri), also known as the ring-necked parakeet, or colloquially as the Indian Ringneck, is a medium-sized parrot in the genus Psittacula, of the family Psittaculidae. It has a disjunct native range in tropical northern Africa and the Indian subcontinent, and is now introduced into many other parts of the world where populations have established themselves having been bred for the exotic pet trade and then escaped. The species is listed as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) because its population appears to be increasing, but its popularity as a pet and unpopularity with farmers have reduced its numbers in some parts of its native range. One of the few parrot species that have successfully adapted to living in disturbed habitats, it has withstood the onslaught of urbanisation and deforestation. As a popular pet species, escaped birds have colonised a number of cities around the world, including populations in northern and western Europe. They can live in a variety of climates outside their native range, and are able to survive low winter temperatures in northern Europe.
Taxonomy Four subspecies are recognised, with two in Africa and two in Asia. While they differ little in plumage, genetic evidence from studies in 2004, and 2016–2019, suggest they should probably be treated in two separate species, as the African and Asian populations are paraphyletic with respect to the Echo parakeet P. eques of Mauritius and (formerly) Réunion; the Asian populations are more closely related to P. eques than they are to African P. krameri. The subspecies differ in size, with the Asian birds being larger, and larger-billed, than the African; and most usefully for identification, in the pattern and tone of red and black on the bill.
The feral and naturalised populations in Great Britain, Germany and Spain, and likely those worldwide, in Australia, much of Europe, the United States, and other Western countries, are derived from an interbreeding mixture of P. k. manillensis and P. k. borealis; there is no evidence of any African origin birds naturalised in Britain, despite these being known to have featured in the birds imported for the cagebird trade. Escaped individual P. k. krameri in Germany have failed interbred with feral P. k. manillensis / P. k. borealis, preferring instead to try breeding with other even less related parrots. It is also suggested that the Asian populations are better adapted to survival in the cooler climates where most feral birds are. The 2016–2019 genetic study suggested creating the new genus Alexandrinus for this species and the Echo parakeet, with three species, A. eques, A. manillensis (including A. m. borealis), and A. krameri (including A. k. parvirostris). Some organisations, including the IUCN, have accepted this new genus (but not the species split of A. manillensis), while others have not, retaining the broader treatment of Psittacula.
Etymology The genus name Psittacula is a diminutive of Latin psittacus, "parrot", and the specific krameri commemorates the German naturalist Wilhelm Heinrich Kramer.
Description Rose-ringed parakeets are 37–43 cm (15–17 in) in length, including the tail feathers, a large portion of their total length. The folded wing length (outer wing joint to wing tip) is 14 to 16 cm (5.5 to 6.3 in) in African birds, and 15 to 19 cm (5.9 to 7.5 in) in Asian birds, and the tail length is 17 to 27 cm (6.7 to 10.6 in) in African birds, and 16 to 29 cm (6.3 to 11.4 in) in Asian birds; within Asian birds, P. k. borealis has longer tails than P. k. manillensis, and in all, males have longer tails than females. Weight ranges from 51–93 g in African birds, and 104–143 g (rarely to 174 g) in Asian birds. The rose-ringed parakeet is sexually dimorphic; adult males have a pink and black neck ring, and the female, and immature birds of both sexes, either show no neck rings, or display shadow-like pale to dark grey neck rings. Both sexes have a distinctive green colour in the wild with a red beak and blue tail. It is a noisy species with an unmistakable squawking call. They are herbivorous, and non-migratory.
Distribution
In Africa, the species occurs in a narrow belt across the full width of the continent between about 4° to 17° N latitude, roughly coinciding with the Sudanian savannas; and in Asia in the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka from 6° to 35° N latitude in the foothills of the Himalaya, and from the Indus River valley in Pakistan east to the Irrawaddy River valley in Myanmar. Since the late 20th century, the rose-ringed parakeet has successfully colonised many other countries due to escapes from captivity and deliberate releases. It now breeds further north than any other parrot species. It has established itself on a large scale in Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, and the UK. See Feral Birds section below. This shows that the risk of parakeet establishment may rise further as a result of decreasing frost days due to global warming, rising urbanisation, and rising human populations. Because of the significant separate parakeet imports in Europe, researchers are capable of investigating the widely held hypothesis of climate matching and human activity at the species level.
Ecology and behaviour
Diet In the wild, rose-ringed parakeets usually feed on buds, nectar, fruit, vegetables, nuts, berries, seeds, grains, and insects. Wild flocks also fly several miles to forage in farmlands and orchards, causing extensive damage. Feral parakeets will regularly visit gardens and other locations near human habitation, taking food from bird feeders. In India, they feed on cereal grains, and during winter also on pigeon peas. In Egypt during the spring, they feed on mulberry, and in summer they feed on dates and nest inside palm trees and eat from sunflower and corn fields. In captivity, rose-ringed parakeets will take a large variety of food and can be fed on a number of fruit, vegetables, pellets, seeds, and even small amounts of cooked meat for protein. Oils, salts, chocolate, alcohol, and other preservatives should be avoided.
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