Plum-headed Parakeet

A brilliantly-colored parakeet; males have a plum-colored head while females have grayish-blue head. Endemic to the Indian subcontinent where it can occur in any well-wooded area outside NE India and the high Himalayas. Similar to the largely non-overlapping Blossom-headed Parakeet, but shows a darker shade of plum or gray on the head and a white-tipped tail (not yellow). They also lack the red shoulder patch seen on Blossom-headed females. A yellow upper bill separates it from all overlapping parakeets. Call is a distinctive, short, and high-pitched “tui.”

Plum-headed parakeets in Sri Lanka live in forests, open woodlands, and city gardens. They are found in the lower elevations of the country, up to 1,500 meters.

Plum-headed parakeets in Sri Lanka eat a variety of fruits, seeds, and flower petals. They are more frugivorous than most other parakeets.