Photo: Hari K Patibanda / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Plum-headed Parakeet
Psittacula cyanocephala
Plum-headed Parakeet (Psittacula cyanocephala) — Parrots & Cockatoos of South & Southeast Asia.
Found across 18 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Plum-headed Parakeet (Psittacula cyanocephala) is a member of the Psittaculidae family found in South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 66 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Psittaciformes
- Family Psittaculidae Old World Parrots
- Genus Psittacula
- Species cyanocephala
Quick facts
- Weight
- 66 g
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Psittaculidae
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Plum-headed Parakeet is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Plum-headed Parakeet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Plum-headed Parakeet (Psittacula cyanocephala) is a species of bird in the Psittaculidae family, part of the order Psittaciformes. It is found across South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers OR India.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 66 g, with a wing length of about 12.7 cm and a tail of around 19.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 2.8 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Plum-headed Parakeet?
The Plum-headed Parakeet is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 66 g.
Where does the Plum-headed Parakeet live?
The Plum-headed Parakeet is found across South & Southeast Asia with a range covering OR India, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Plum-headed Parakeet belong to?
The Plum-headed Parakeet (Psittacula cyanocephala) belongs to the Psittaculidae family, in the order Psittaciformes.
What does the Plum-headed Parakeet eat?
The Plum-headed Parakeet is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Plum-headed Parakeet migrate?
The Plum-headed Parakeet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Plum-headed Parakeet endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Plum-headed Parakeet make?
1 real field recording of the Plum-headed Parakeet — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Plum-headed Parakeet's range?
The Plum-headed Parakeet has a mapped global range of about 2.8 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Meet the Psittaculidae
A field guide to the Psittaculidae family — 202 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.