The Alexandrine Parakeet is one of the largest parrots in the genus Psittacula, native to South and Southeast Asia. It has bright green plumage with a bluish-grey sheen on the cheeks and nape, a yellow-green belly, distinctive red “shoulder” patches, and a massive red beak with a yellowish tip. Adult males display a striking neck pattern: a black stripe under the cheeks and a pink band on the nape — features that females lack. The long tail shifts from green to bluish, ending in yellow. The bird is named after Alexander the Great, who brought these parrots from Punjab to the courts of Europe and the Mediterranean, where they were highly prized.
Key facts
Lifestyle Alexandrine Parakeets usually live in small flocks, but they can form large gatherings in areas with abundant food or at communal roosts. They feed on fruits, berries, seeds, nuts, buds, and flowers. They often raid farmland for ripening grain, maize, and orchards, which puts them at odds with local farmers. The breeding season runs from November to April, with nests usually placed in tree hollows or sometimes in cracks of buildings. The female lays 2–4 white eggs and incubates them for about 24 days. The chicks hatch blind and helpless, fledge at around 7 weeks, and remain dependent on their parents for another 3–4 months. The species is famously loud — its piercing “kree-aar” calls carry a long way.
Conservation status Wild populations are declining sharply due to deforestation and illegal trapping for the pet trade — the bird is enormously popular as a pet thanks to its intelligence and ability to mimic speech. In many regions, farmers persecute the species as a crop pest. In 2015, the IUCN uplisted it to Near Threatened.
Distribution Its native range covers South and Southeast Asia: Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Thanks to escapes from captivity, the species has established feral populations across much of Europe (Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK, Spain) and the Middle East (Turkey, the UAE, Iran, Saudi Arabia), as well as in Hong Kong and Japan.
