The Beautiful Plum-headed Parakeet

The Plum-headed Parakeet, Psittacu.la cyanocepbala (Linne), is indigenous to most of India, West Pakistan, Nepal east to Bhutan, West Bengal, Rameswaram Island, and Sri Lanka. These birds prefer wooded plains and foothills near cultivated areas. The Plum-headed Parakeet can be a serious pest, often raiding grain fields and orchards. The breeding season in the wild is reported to be from December Lo April throughout India, and from February to May in Sri Lanka, often producing a second clutch in August and September. Plum-headed Parakeets make their nests in the knot holes of Bassia trees, or they may use another bird's nest cavity. They have been known to nest in the crevices of buildings. General information on Captive birds The beauty of Plum-headed Parakeets is breathtaking. The pattern and color of the plumage is complex and jewel-like. Written descriptions of the birds are not adequate. There are plenty of good pictures, but film has its limitations too. Plum-headed Parakeets must be seen to be appreciated. Plum-headed Parakeets are dimorphic as adults. The adult molt occurs at about 27 months of age. Immature birds resemble the adult females. If necessary to determine sex prior to the adult molt, surgical sexing, or DNA sexing is advisable. Plum-headed Parakeets have long been favored by aviculturists everywhere. At one time, it seemed as though every bird breeder had at least one or two pairs. However, this species may be in danger of disappearing from American aviculture due to apathy. The tendency to take for granted that this familiar bird will always be around is dangerous. We are now seeing a decline in the availability of these parakeets. The most obvious reason for the shortage can be attributed to the close of quarantine. There are many other reasons for the decline. Each is relatively minor by itself, but there are so many, that the cumulative potential for loss is greater than ever. In general, production is low for most pairs due to mismanagement and poor feeding practices. In analyzing our breeding program, there are really only four things critically important to achieving breeding success with Asian parakeets. If any one element is ignored, reproduction is minimal or nonexistent. The four elements are: proper pairing and set-up, preventive maintenance I health care, diet and nutrition, and consistency. Pairing and Set-up Proper set-up of pairs begins with making sure you are working with the same species or subspecies. Blossomheaded, Plum-headed and Slary-headed Parakeets are frequently misidentified. It's important to keep the species separate and preserve the purity of the breeding stock. Breeding success with Plum-headed Parakeets is enhanced considerably by having at least three to five pairs to work with. During the fall, all males should be housed in a separate aviary next to the females. The birds begin to pair off by hanging on the wire to be close to the chosen mate. They talk to each other and the males feed the hens through the wire if they can manage to reach. This behavior is part of the bonding process. As each pair bonds, it should he removed and placed in its own aviary with a nestbox. These birds soon proceed through courtship rituals, mating and finally nesting. In southern California, eggs are usually laid in late February or March. Some birds may not want to pair with any of the birds offered. Those birds need to he kept for use in the next breeding season, or you may try finding another mature hire! to work with during the current season. The ratio of males to females produced is high; about eight to one respectively. Single birds really aren't a handicap to a breeding program because birds of this species form new pair hone.ls each season. The extra birds can he paired in rotation to increase genetic diversity in subsequent breeding seasons. Housing and Nest Boxes The flight size should he no smaller than 2 ft. wide x 6 ft. high x 6 ft. long, (60cm x 2m x 2m). Our hircls are housed in flights that are 3 ft. wide x 8' ft. high x 12 ft. long (l m x 2.Sm x 3 75m) It is advisable to wire all sides including the top and bottom of the aviaries because Plum-headed hens are notorious for digging into the ground prior to and even during breeding season. Many birds have either escaped to the outside or been killed by other birds when they emerged into a neighboring aviary Leave no areas between walls, nest boxes or feeders that females could possibly fit into. Often the hen will tty to find a secluded nesting area other than the box provided She may get caught and die before you can find her. Hens are in extremely short supply, so extra precautions need to he taken to insure their safety We have found the grandfather clock style nestbox works the best. Ours are made of pine planks which provide better insulation than plywood. The birds really prefer small spaces to nest, and the interior of our boxes measure 9 in. x 9 in. x 24 in. deep (23cm x 23cm x 60cm) We install a 'h in. x 1 in. welded wire ladder inside the nest box. It's placed on the sidewall instead of just below the entrance hole, to make it easier for the birds to get in and out of the box. This helps prevent damage to the eggs if the hire.ls are frightened and dive in quickly.