Complete name: Psittacula krameri (Scopoli, 1769)
Taxonomy: Aves » Chordata » Aves » Psittaciformes » Psittacidae » Psittacula krameri
Authors: Assaf Shwartz and Susan Shirley
Last updated: February 21st, 2007

Rose-ringed parakeet.

Psittacula krameri

This pale yellow-green parakeet with a distinguishing long tail lives in tropical and subtropical lightly wooded habitats feeding mainly on seeds, fruit, flowers and nectar. Males have a black and rose-red ring encircling their throat.

• Dispersal Mechanisms
  • Sedentary, with some local movements for food and seasonal changes in roost sites.
• Reproduction
  • Breeds singly or in small loose groups in the same tree (4 pairs) from late January to late July. Clutch size 2-6 (mean 3.6), normally single brooded, but known to occasionally have second broods.
• Known Predators/Herbivores
  • Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), Red kite (Milvus milvus), Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix), Jackdaw (Corvus monedula) and snakes may rob eggs and nestlings from the large cavities.
• Resistant Stages (seeds, spores etc.)
  • None

• Native (EUNIS Code)
  • G: Woodland and forest habitats and other wooded land (Mainly lowland, most abundant in moist and dry deciduous lightly wooded areas, secondary jungle), I: Regularly or recently cultivated agricultural, horticultural and domestic habitats, J: Constructed, industrial and other artificial habitats (Gardens, orchard, cultivated areas and city suburbs).
• Habitat Occupied in Invaded Range (EUNIS Code)
  • I: Regularly or recently cultivated agricultural, horticultural and domestic habitats, J: Constructed, industrial and other artificial habitats. Mainly parks, local gardens and suburban areas, but also cultivated areas with fields and orchards.
• Habitat Requirements
  • Avoids mountainous and arid areas, can be found in a large range of temperatures, precipitation and light regimes in anthropogenic-influenced habitats that provide food resources. In Europe, they depend on bird feeders during winter.

Rose-ringed parakeets were highly traded as a cage bird during the late 1960’s and 1970’s and have escaped from aviaries. However, spreading has occurred naturally in human-dominated habitats.

• Native Range
  • From west- to east-central Africa, Afghanistan, West Pakistan, Indian Subcontinent, Myanmar.
• Known Introduced Range
  • Introduced to twelve countries in Europe from Belgium and the UK in the west across north-central Europe to Greece and Slovenia.
• Trend
  • Increasing in population size and distribution in several countries in Western Europe (Belgium, Netherlands, and the UK) as well as Turkey and Israel.

known distribution area (in CGRS grid squares; in countries; along coast)

	eradicated
	extinct
	not present; eradicated
	native distribution range in CGRS grid squares
	native range
	assumed native range
	infrequent distribution
	key distribution area
	not established

• Ecosystem Impact
  • It has been suggested that the Rose-ringed Parakeets may have detrimental effects on other cavity-nesters. In many habitats (mainly managed ones), the number of cavities is a major factor regulating population densities of cavity-nesters. Parakeets, which begin breeding prior to most other secondary cavity-nester species, may limit resources available for species such as House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), Stock Dove (Columba oenas), European Nuthatch (Sitta europaea) and European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
• Health and Social Impact
  • Some noise disturbance from loud squawking and screeching at large roost sites.
• Economic Impact
  • Rose-ringed Parakeet is considered by some to be the worst avian pest in its native range. It is a major crop pest in India, damaging grain products and fruits and, in one study, reducing the yield of maize crops by up to 81%. It is also a pest of sunflower, dates and other fruit orchard crops.

• Prevention
  • Unknown.
• Mechanical
  • Trapping has been conducted in Australia to remove individuals from the wild.
• Chemical
  • None.
• Biological
  • None.

The following contributors have provided records in the DAISIE database for this species.

The following experts registered themselves as having knowledge about this species or its family.

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Braun M (2004) Alien species in urban habitats: Ecology and niche expansion of Ring-necked Parakeets (Psittacula krameri SCOPOLI, 1769). MSc. Thesis, University of Heidelberg, Germany

Butler CJ (2003) Population Biology of the Introduced Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri in the UK. PhD Thesis, University of Oxford, UK

Hagemeijer EJM, Blair MJ (Eds) (1997) The EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds: Their Distribution and Abundance. T & AD Poyser, London

Ali S, Ripley SD (1964) Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan. Oxford University Press. Bombay, India

Butler CJ (2005) Feral Parrots in the Continental United States and United Kingdom: Past, Present, and Future. Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery 19:142-149

Cramp S, Simmons KEL (1977) Handbook of the Birds of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Oxford University Press. Oxford

Cunningham-van Someren GR (1969) Escapes of Psittacula Krameri and Agapornis spp. breeding in Kenya. Bull. Br. Orn. Club 89:137-139

Forshaw JM (1989) Parrots of the World. Blanford. London

Hill M, Baker R, Broad G, Chandler PJ, Copp GH, Ellis J, Jones D, Hoyland C, Laing I, Longshaw M, Moore N, Parrott D, Pearman D, Preston C, Smith RM, Waters R (2005) Audit of non-native species in England. English Nature Research Reports Retrieved from http://www.english-nature.org.uk/pubs/publication/PDF/662.pdf on 7 November 2005

Hossain MT, Husain KZ, Rahman MK (1993) Some aspects of the breeding biology of the rose-ringed parakeet, Psittacula Krameri Borealis (Neumann). Bangladesh J Zool 77-85

Keijl GO (2001) Ringed-necked Parakeets, Psittacula krameri in Amsterdam. Limosa 74:29-32

Khan AH, Beg MA, Khan AA (2004) Breeding Habitats of the Rose-Ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) in the Cultivations of Central Punjab. Pakistan Journal of Zoology 36:133-138

Long JL (1981) Introduced Birds of the World. Universe Books. New York.

Pithon JA, Dytham C (1999) Breeding performance of Ring-necked Parakeets Psittacula krameri in small introduced populations in southeast England. Bird Study 46:342-347

Pithon JA, Dytham C (1999) Census of the British Ring-necked Parakeet Psittacula krameri population by simultaneous counts of roosts. Bird Study 46:112-115

Pithon JA, Dytham C (2002) Distribution and population development of introduced Ring-necked Parakeets Psittacula krameri in Britain between 1983 and 1998. Bird Study 49:110-117

Shelgrem JH, Thompson RA, Palmer TK, Keffer MO, Clark DO, Johnson J (1975) An Evaluation of the Pest Potential of the Ringed-necked Parakeet, Nanday Conure and the Canary-winged Parakeet in California. State of California Department of Food & Agriculture. California