Long-tailed Parakeet

Psittacula longicauda

The Long-tailed Parakeet lives in forests, swamps and mangrove areas, partly cleared areas and oil palm plantations in the Andaman and Nicobar islands of the Indian Ocean, and in Sumatra, Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia (including Singapore). Ocassionaly, it visits suburban gardens with tall trees.

They usually form groups of up to 20 birds, but in some localities up to 800 birds can gather. These parrots are apparently nomadic. They are restless. They climb quickly around in branches briefly before flying to next tree. They are also conspicuous because of their continuous screeching.

They feed on fruits, seeds, flowers, and leaf buds. They nest in hollow branches or holes in dead trees (only very occasionally in living trees).

The above picture was taken in the San Diego Zoo, in March 2004.

Genus Psittacula
Tribe Psittaculini
Subfamily Psittacinae
Family Psittacidae
Order Psittaciformes
Class Aves
Subphylum Vertebrata
Phylum Chordata
Kingdom Animalia
Life on Earth
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