Alexandrine Parakeet

The Alexandrine Parakeet ranges across South and Southeast Asia, from Pakistan and India through parts of Indochina, inhabiting open forest, farmland, and lightly wooded lowlands. It is closely related to and often confused with the Rose-ringed Parakeet but is notably larger, with a heavier build and bill, and carries a distinctive maroon shoulder patch not found on its smaller relative.

Body feathers are green overall, similar in tone to the Rose-ringed Parakeet but the bird is visibly larger and heavier-bodied. A maroon-red patch marks the shoulder (lesser wing coverts), a key field mark separating this species from the otherwise similar Rose-ringed Parakeet, which lacks this patch. Males show a black chin stripe extending into a rose-pink neck band, similar in position to the Rose-ringed Parakeet's ring but on a larger bird with a proportionately larger, more massive red bill. The tail is long and tapered with elongated central feathers, blue-tinged above, and overall wing and tail feathers are broader and heavier than those of smaller Psittacula species.

Adult males show the black-and-rose neck ring along with the maroon shoulder patch, while females and immatures lack the neck ring but retain the shoulder patch, which is present in both sexes from a young age. Juveniles have duller green plumage overall and a less developed shoulder patch, with the neck ring in young males developing gradually over a few years. A single annual molt renews the plumage.

This species inhabits open forest, forest edge, farmland, and scattered woodland across South and Southeast Asia, from Pakistan and India through Sri Lanka and into parts of Indochina. It is largely non-migratory, remaining resident within suitable habitat, and has also become established in some areas as an escaped or released population.

Alexandrine Parakeets feed on fruit, seeds, blossoms, and cultivated grain, foraging in flocks in trees and crop fields. Nests are placed in large tree cavities, often reused across years. Calls include loud, resonant screeching notes, deeper and harsher than those of the smaller Rose-ringed Parakeet, given in flight and at communal roosts.