Ringneck Blue (Psittacula krameri)

The Ring-necked Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) is a medium-sized parrot belonging to the genus Psittacula, of the Psittacidae family. It lives mainly in Africa and South Asia, but is found in many other parts of the world. It is about 40 cm. long, including the tail feathers. Each wing has a span of 15 to 17.5 cm. It is herbivorous, makes a characteristic loud sound and when living with humans can learn to talk. They can be fed a variety of fruits, vegetables, pellets, seeds and even small amounts of cooked meat for protein. Oils, salts, chocolate, alcohol and other preservatives should be avoided. Ring-necked parakeets are popular as pets and have a long history in aviculture. Both males and females have the ability to imitate human speech. First, the bird listens to its surroundings and then copies the voice of the human speaker. Some people hand-raise chicks of the species for this purpose. Such parrots then become quite quiet and receptive to learning. It is estimated that they can learn up to 250 words, or even form phrases.  ...More