Animal-World > Birds > Parakeet: Types of Parakeets > Plum-headed Parakeet

Plum-headed Parakeet

Family: Psittacidae

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"Bobby"Psittacula cyanocephalaPhoto: Courtesy DDani

     Bobby is a male Plum-headed parakeet. The Plum-headed female has a gray head and the male's head is grayish purple or plum colored... thus the name Plum-headed!

     The Plum-headed Parakeet is a very beautiful bird. They are a very tolerant towards other parakeets, and even known to be peaceful with small birds such as finches.

To learn more about Parakeets and their needs visit:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Parakeet

Scientific name: Psittacula cyanocephala

Description:      The Plum-headed Parakeet belongs in the Psittacula genus, that are known as Ringneck Parakeets. This genus has the distinguishing characteristic of a colored collar going around the head in the males, or a pronounced stripe running through the chin area.      The Plum-headed Parakeet male has a plum colored head with a narrow, black collar around it's neck followed by a bluish-green band. They have dark green wings and a reddish brown stripe on the lesser coverlets, and the rest of the body is light green. The central tail feathers are bluish-green and the outer tail feathers are green with light yellow tips. The female's head is lighter than the male, and they have no red shoulder marking. The young reach their adult plumage after 2 years and the second full molt. These birds grow to a length of 13" (33 cm).

Distribution:      The Plum-headed Parakeet is found in Sri Lanka, Ceylon, most of India, west Pakistan, Nepal and the Rameswaram Island.

Care and Feeding:      Fresh food and water must be provided daily.      In the wild, Plum-headed Parakeets eat a variety of seeds, fruits, nuts, blossoms, leaf buds. In addition to these foods, you can offer them vegetables and commercial pellets. They like nuts with the shells cracked, such as walnuts, pecans and almonds. They also enjoy the same nutritional foods humans eat, including cooked chicken. Cooked beans, rice, and grains are also enjoyed, but soft foods like these will spoil in about 4 hours. An occasional millet spray is a nice treat. See About Parakeets: Care and Feeding for more detailed information.

Housing:      A a roomy cage is required, and these birds are sensitive to freezing temperatures. See About Parakeets: Housing for more extensive housing information.

Maintenance:      The basic cage care includes daily cleaning of the water and food dishes. Weekly you should wash all the perches and dirty toys, and the floor should be washed about every other week. A total hosing down and disinfecting of an aviary should be done yearly, replacing anything that needs to be freshened, such as old dishes, toys and perches.

Social Behaviors:      In the wild, these birds live in flocks and are very social. They have a pleasant nature and tolerate other birds housed with them except when breeding, then like many parakeets, they can be more aggressive.

Handling/Training: See About Parakeets: Handling and Training for detailed information.     

Activities:      Parakeets are very energetic birds! Besides flying, which is important for all parakeets, these birds love to chew! Be sure you provide them with lots of assorted toys and wood chews, perches and swings.

Breeding/Reproduction:      According to author Annette Wolter, in her book "Long-Tailed Parakeets", Plum-headed Parakeets do not bond with a mate for life, unlike many parakeets. She states, "...they do not form lasting bonds with a mate. After brooding, the pairs separate once more." However, she does state that they are easily bred. They are not always successful at raising their young, so you may have to hand-rear the babies. Each pair will need two nesting boxes to choose from. Once the nest box is selected the female will lay four to six eggs. See About Parakeets: Breeding and Reproduction for more information.

Potential Problems:      These parakeets call varies from melodic notes to a shrill call when in flight. They can have a loud scream. See About Parakeets: Potential Problems for more information.

Availability:      Plum-headed Parakeets are available from time to time at pet stores or from breeders.

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Latest Comments
Hi, I have one male plum headed parakeet. I wish all of you to know those are loving Parakeets! His name is "Raju". I like your parakeets name but I from Maharshatra state, India. Wishing You all Best luck for Saving Parakeets. sunil 2009-01-07
I have a female, plumhead parakeet and have had her for about 5 years and she is 6 years old. She is grey headed therefore being the female, her registerd name is Daisy. I have never gotten her a mate because if I did her love for me would not be the same - now that I have had her for so many years she will not bite me but shows me her dislike in other ways and she has her own personality. She pouts for days on-end and will give me the silent treatment when she is mad at me. That usually happens when I leave her for more than one night. This morning she laid an egg. I have found her acting very strange for the last week or so but since it was christmas and there has been many strangers around her all day, I thought that was the reason but she now has gone one further step in her life, motherhood. I have no idea what I am going to do with the egg or how to take it away from her. Plum color headed plumheads are males - FYI. shauna 2008-12-27
I have a plumhead parakeet. Somebody gave this talented bird to me and they named the bird, Birdie, and I never plan to change it. I've had him for about 1 year and have learned that it can say quite a few words and phrases. Birdie can whistle a few tunes, make kissing noises, and can say: Birdie, pretty bird, ahhh, I love you, and many other words. He doesn't enjoy being petted so he may bite. Other than that I enjoy having him. ABBY 2008-07-21
An update from my last comments in July 2006 on my Plum Head named Blaze. I'm not sure if I have a male or female as I have read they reach their adult plumage in 2 to 3 years. Blaze is about 11 months old and looks like a female (I've read they all reach female plumage in 9 to 15 months). The wonderful thing is the bird is talking. He/she has quite a little vocabulary and says things like "That's my little baby," "Hi baby," "My sweetheart," "Love mommy," "Hello, Hello, I'm Blaze" (a little garbled on this one, but I know what's he/she's trying to say) and mimmicks my kissing sounds as well. He/she is very affectionate and will give me kisses through the bars of the cage. When Blaze is on my shoulder, he/she nibbles on my ear. Blaze is becoming more delightful the older he/she gets. Fern 2007-02-08
My plumhead, Zoey will be two on March 12th. I've had her since she was about 2 months old. She wasn't hand tamed when I got her, but in time, about a year later, SHE decided she wanted to step-up. She is fully flighted as are all my birds in the bird room and when I go in there, she lands on my shoulder and just sits there and stares at me. She's so adorable. She's learned to mimic my kissing sound I make to her. She's very smart and if I walk in there with an open bag of nutriberries, she lands on the bag and steals one and takes off before I even realize what she's done. Talk about a little clown, she grabs the two corners of her cage, one with each foot and flips up and down over and over. She can run sideways down a perch at a lightening speed. I swear it's as if she's in fast motion. Amazing little bird she is! Lynne 2007-02-01
Some of the coolest comments:
I love my little guy. He is a wonderful pet very loving and a clown in his cage. He loves to sit on your finger and listen intently to every word you say. He says a few words but he is only ten months old so I consider him a good talker. If you want a plum head make sure you have plenty of time for them because the more you handle and play with them the sweeter they become. eric 2005-03-11
Comments Dr Jungle REALLY Likes to Hear!
Awww, I love your pics. I'm using them for a project in science. jackie aka swettie 2008-02-20
your bird pictures are so striking in beauty i come to your wbsite everyday to learn more about parakeets because i am thinking of getting some later in life. from your favorite fan of this website cole wilson cole wilson 2006-03-23

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