Long-tailed Parakeets (Psittacula longicaudia)

Long-tailed Parakeets are a handsome species, The male has mostly green overall plumage with long purplish-blue tail-streamers, bright red bill, reddish-pink head,-sides and nape, deep green crown and broad black malar band. Females resemble the male but have shorter tail-streamers, brownish bill, greenish nape, dark green malar band and reddish-pink supercillium. Juveniles resemble the female but have an overall duller appearance. The adult size is 40-42cm.

Female (left) and male (right)

Male Long-tailed parakeet

Male on the left and juvenile on the right

Close-up view of the female.

The species is found from the Andaman and Malabar Islands to the Thai-Malay peninsular, Sumatra and Borneo. The species has been listed as vulnerable by BirdLife International, Their diet consists of a variety of berries, papaya, areca nuts, a wide selection of cultivated and wild fruit, seeds and cultivated grains such as corn.

The species has a restricted distribution.

I had encountered the species in Singapore but became interested in their activities as a side-line to documenting the breeding habits of the Oriental Pied hornbills at Taiping Lakes gardens.

Taiping Lakes gardens was the site of tin mining.

The gardens feature around 90 rain trees that are over 100 years old

My first impression is that the species are very skittery and take off together for no obvious reason, When not flying they are mainly squabbling over water rights or nesting cavities.







In the first few months of the year pairs can be seen romancing, A pair gets close together and either the male or female performs a circular head movement.





Conjugation may follow





Selecting a nest cavity becomes a priority





The pair will prepare the nest together. The female will then lay 2 to 4 eggs and from then on the male is excluded from the nest. It takes 23 to 24 days for the eggs to hatch.




Careful and patient observation from the Bird Society of Singapore members identified that four different females incubated the eggs in one particular nest. The male forages for food during this time and passes food to the female.




Chicks are ready to fledge at 7 weeks of age, They don't appear at the nest entrance until around 6 weeks. On leaving the nest the female will accompany the chick and they will fly to the male with all three heading for the jungle.
It has been stated that breeding in the Malay Peninsular occurs from December to February, while in the Nicobar and Andaman Islands it occurs from February to March. Breeding in the Taiping colony can start in January to March and runs to at least June.



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