Moustached Parakeet

Psittacula alexandri (Linné)

Description: Head grey with bluish tint, green wash around eyes and chin, the cheek stripe and the narrow line over fore head between the eyes is black. Breast and upper abdomen pink, lower abdomen and lower tail green/blue, wings green with green/yellow centre, under wing pale green outer tail feathers blue/green, under tail olive yellow. Upper and lower beak red with pale tip. Iris yellow, feet grey.
Female slightly duller over breast.

Length: Approximately 13 inches (33 cm).

Origination: Indonesia and the islands of Java and Bali.

Temperament: When Hand-reared they make excellent pets and can become reasonably good talkers.

Diet: Natural diet includes: Seeds, fruits, berries, small nuts, buds and sometimes flowers. In captivity their diet should include a good seed mix, plenty of fruits (apples, bananas, elderberry, etc.), should also include vegetables, chickweed, sweet peppers, etc.

Breeding in captivity: Nest box needs to be 25 x 25 x 40 cm (10 x 10 x 16 ins). Breeding is best achieved by isolating pairs and can be very difficult. Pairs usually breed in March, average clutches are three-four eggs; incubation twenty-two days, fledging at approximately seven weeks of age.

As Pets: The moustached parakeets are fairly common and if you acquire a hand-reared baby you should have a well behaved, pretty, loveable bird. Remember to handle your parrot daily as this species can become wild if not fussed and handled regularly.