Quick Facts
- Type
- Bird
- Size
- About 56–62 cm long, including the tail
- Weight
- 200–260 g (7–9.2 oz)
- Habitat
- Forest, farmland and woodland edge
- Diet
- Herbivore — seeds, fruit, nuts and grain
- Active Time
- Diurnal, active by day
- Lifespan
- Up to 30–40 years in captivity
- It is the largest species in the genus Psittacula, distinctly bigger than the related Rose-ringed Parakeet.
- A maroon-red shoulder patch, present in both sexes, helps distinguish it from the smaller Rose-ringed Parakeet.
- Its common name honors Alexander the Great, whose armies are credited with bringing the species toward Europe.
- As in its close relative, only adult males develop the black-and-pink neck ring.
About the Alexandrine Parakeet
The Alexandrine Parakeet is the largest member of the genus Psittacula, a green parrot native to forest and farmland across South and Southeast Asia. It closely resembles the smaller Rose-ringed Parakeet but is distinguished by its bigger size, heavier coral-red beak, and a maroon-red patch on the shoulder present in both sexes; as in its relative, only adult males develop the black-and-pink neck ring. It takes its common name from Alexander the Great, whose armies are credited with carrying the species west from India toward Europe. It feeds in noisy flocks on seeds, fruit and grain, sometimes raiding crops near farmland.
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