Indian Ringneck Parakeet

Psittacula krameri

The ring necked parakeet, also known as the rose-ringed parakeet, is a medium-sized parrot in the genus Psittacula, of the family Psittacidae. It has native ranges in Africa and South Asia, and is now introduced into many other parts of the world. Feral populations have been able to establish themselves and are bred for the exotic pet trade. One of the few parrot species that have successfully adapted to living in disturbed habitats, it has withstood habitat loss of urbanisation and deforestation. In northern and western Europe, they are popular pets, birds have been known to escape and form wild populations. These parakeets have also proven themselves capable of living in a variety of climates outside their native range, and are able to survive low winter temperatures in Northern Europe.

In the wild, ring necked parakeets usually feed on buds, fruits, vegetables, nuts, berries, and seeds. Wild flocks also fly several miles to forage in farmlands and orchards, causing extensive damage. They have been known in India, to feed on farmers crops of cereal grains. In Egypt during the spring, they feed on mulberry and in summer they feed on dates. These trees also double as homes, they will nest inside palm trees and eat from sunflower and corn fields. In captivity, ring necked parakeets will take a large variety of food and can be fed on a number of fruits, vegetables, pellets, seeds, and even small amounts of cooked meat for protein. Oils, salts, chocolate, alcohol, and other preservatives should be avoided.