Profiles:
The Long-tailed Parakeet averages 16.5 inches (40 to 42 cm) in length. The wing length is about 142 - 155 mm and the tail is about 154 - 270 mm long.
Adult Male: The general plumage is green. The throat, breast and abdomen are greenish-yellow; and the lores (the regions between the eyes and bill on the side of a bird's head) are bluish-black. The crown is a darker green, and the sides to head and nape are rose-red. There is a black stripe to the cheeks. The upper back is yellowish washed bluish-grey. The lower back is pale blue. The under wing-coverts are yellowish. The upper and under tail-coverts as well as the thighs are pale green. The middle tail-feathers are blue with pale tips and the outer feathers are green. The upper beak is red and the lower beak is brownish-black. The irises are whitish-yellow, and the feet are grey.
Females have a green nape. The stripe to her cheeks is dark green, and the upper cheeks are dull orange-red. Her tail-feathers are much shorter, and the upper and lower mandible are brownish-black.
Young birds have a green head variably interspersed with orange-red. The tail feathers are shorter, and both the upper and lower beak are brown. Young males have a bluish tinge on the lower back and some young males may have a reddish tinge to the upper beak. Immature birds attain their adult plumage when they are about 30 months old.
Mutations:
Lutino and other colorations, believed to be mutations, have been observed both in the wild and in captivity.
Breeding / Nesting:
The breeding season commences in February and goes on until about July. During the courtship display, the male bows before hen, making regurgitating and circular movements with head and touching bill of hen.
These parrots mostly nest in hollow branches or holes in dead trees and occasionally will nest in living trees. The nest is lined with pieces of bark and chewed wood. In the natural habitat, the average clutch consists of 2 to 3 eggs each measuring 30.6 x 24.7 mm.
Aviculture:
This is a medium-noisy to noisy parakeet. It's initially very shy and is slow to grow confiding with their care taker. These parakeets don't bathe often, but will occasionally choose to perch in rain. They enjoy gnawing fresh twigs.
Captive breeding is rarely achieved. The main problems are the difficulty of matching compatible pairs up as these parakeets may not accept a mate that they themselves have not chosen and even if pairs are breeding, it is very difficult to keep the chicks alive. Sudden mortalities without discernible cause have been reported - possibly resulting from stress. Some may refuse to eat. Occasional aggression by hen towards the cock has been observed. Additionally, these delicate parrots are difficult to acclimatize. Newly imported birds are susceptible to cold and wet conditions. During the acclimatization period, they should not be exposed to temperatures of less than 24°C and at no time below 10°C.
The average clutch size consists of 2 - 4 eggs laid at daily intervals and incubated for about 23 days. The young fledge 7 weeks after hatching and are independent 2 weeks later.
Accommodation:
These parakeets need spacious aviaries and are rather active if they have space to move around. A planted outside flight of the following dimensions OR LARGER is recommended: 3 x 1 x 2 m with adjoining sheltered area (heated if necessary to maintain a comfortable temperature). It's important to place the aviary in a quiet and sheltered location.
Provide a roosting box (22 x 22 x 60 cm) at all times.
Diet / Feeding:
Natural diet consists of fruits (Pandanus, Carica papaya, Dryobalan-ops sp.), seeds, flowers (Acacia) and leaf buds.
Insects and their larvae may also be part of their daily diet; whether these parrots actively seek them out is unknown, but they may be incidentally ingested while foraging on fruits and flowers. These parakeets are also considered a crop pest as they cause considerable damage to oil palm plantations in their natural range.
Captive Diet: An organic, good-quality dry food mix should be provided, that may include safflower and sunflower seeds, buckwheat, various millets, canary grass seed, oats and hemp; millet spray (also sprouted). A large portion of their diet should consists of a variety of fruit (apple, pear, fig, grapefruit); greenfood and vegetables (carrot, capsicum, cucumber). Sprouted seeds should be fed daily.
During the breeding season, eggfood, biscuit and sprouted seeds should be provided to the parents to help them raise the young.
Sprouted or germinated seeds are usually more easily accepted by "seed addicts" than fresh fruits and vegetables.
Sprouted seeds are healthier as the sprouting changes and enhances the nutritional quality and value of seeds and grains. Sprouted seeds are lower in fat, as the process of sprouting utilizes the fat in the seed to start the growing process - thus reducing the fat stored in the seeds.
Sprouted seeds will help balance your bird’s diet by adding a nutritious supply of high in vegetable proteins, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and chlorophyll.
Soaked and germinated "oil" seeds, like niger and rape seeds, are rich in protein and carbohydrates; while "starch" seeds, such as canary and millets, are rich in carbohydrates, but lower in protein.
It is in invaluable food at all times; however, it is especially important for breeding or molting birds. Sprouted seeds also serve as a great rearing and weaning food as the softened shell is easier to break by chicks and gets them used to the texture of seeds.
If you have access to the food items that are part of their natural diet (listed above), that may increase your chances of maintaining a healthy breeding flock.
The Long-tailed Parakeet averages 16.5 inches (40 to 42 cm) in length. The wing length is about 142 - 155 mm and the tail is about 154 - 270 mm long.
Adult Male: The general plumage is green. The throat, breast and abdomen are greenish-yellow; and the lores (the regions between the eyes and bill on the side of a bird's head) are bluish-black. The crown is a darker green, and the sides to head and nape are rose-red. There is a black stripe to the cheeks. The upper back is yellowish washed bluish-grey. The lower back is pale blue. The under wing-coverts are yellowish. The upper and under tail-coverts as well as the thighs are pale green. The middle tail-feathers are blue with pale tips and the outer feathers are green. The upper beak is red and the lower beak is brownish-black. The irises are whitish-yellow, and the feet are grey.
Females have a green nape. The stripe to her cheeks is dark green, and the upper cheeks are dull orange-red. Her tail-feathers are much shorter, and the upper and lower mandible are brownish-black.
Young birds have a green head variably interspersed with orange-red. The tail feathers are shorter, and both the upper and lower beak are brown. Young males have a bluish tinge on the lower back and some young males may have a reddish tinge to the upper beak. Immature birds attain their adult plumage when they are about 30 months old.
Mutations:
Lutino and other colorations, believed to be mutations, have been observed both in the wild and in captivity.
Breeding / Nesting:
The breeding season commences in February and goes on until about July. During the courtship display, the male bows before hen, making regurgitating and circular movements with head and touching bill of hen.
These parrots mostly nest in hollow branches or holes in dead trees and occasionally will nest in living trees. The nest is lined with pieces of bark and chewed wood. In the natural habitat, the average clutch consists of 2 to 3 eggs each measuring 30.6 x 24.7 mm.
Aviculture:
This is a medium-noisy to noisy parakeet. It's initially very shy and is slow to grow confiding with their care taker. These parakeets don't bathe often, but will occasionally choose to perch in rain. They enjoy gnawing fresh twigs.
Captive breeding is rarely achieved. The main problems are the difficulty of matching compatible pairs up as these parakeets may not accept a mate that they themselves have not chosen and even if pairs are breeding, it is very difficult to keep the chicks alive. Sudden mortalities without discernible cause have been reported - possibly resulting from stress. Some may refuse to eat. Occasional aggression by hen towards the cock has been observed. Additionally, these delicate parrots are difficult to acclimatize. Newly imported birds are susceptible to cold and wet conditions. During the acclimatization period, they should not be exposed to temperatures of less than 24°C and at no time below 10°C.
The average clutch size consists of 2 - 4 eggs laid at daily intervals and incubated for about 23 days. The young fledge 7 weeks after hatching and are independent 2 weeks later.
Accommodation:
These parakeets need spacious aviaries and are rather active if they have space to move around. A planted outside flight of the following dimensions OR LARGER is recommended: 3 x 1 x 2 m with adjoining sheltered area (heated if necessary to maintain a comfortable temperature). It's important to place the aviary in a quiet and sheltered location.
Provide a roosting box (22 x 22 x 60 cm) at all times.
Diet / Feeding:
Natural diet consists of fruits (Pandanus, Carica papaya, Dryobalan-ops sp.), seeds, flowers (Acacia) and leaf buds.
Insects and their larvae may also be part of their daily diet; whether these parrots actively seek them out is unknown, but they may be incidentally ingested while foraging on fruits and flowers. These parakeets are also considered a crop pest as they cause considerable damage to oil palm plantations in their natural range.
Captive Diet: An organic, good-quality dry food mix should be provided, that may include safflower and sunflower seeds, buckwheat, various millets, canary grass seed, oats and hemp; millet spray (also sprouted). A large portion of their diet should consists of a variety of fruit (apple, pear, fig, grapefruit); greenfood and vegetables (carrot, capsicum, cucumber). Sprouted seeds should be fed daily.
During the breeding season, eggfood, biscuit and sprouted seeds should be provided to the parents to help them raise the young.
Sprouted or germinated seeds are usually more easily accepted by "seed addicts" than fresh fruits and vegetables.
Sprouted seeds are healthier as the sprouting changes and enhances the nutritional quality and value of seeds and grains. Sprouted seeds are lower in fat, as the process of sprouting utilizes the fat in the seed to start the growing process - thus reducing the fat stored in the seeds.
Sprouted seeds will help balance your bird’s diet by adding a nutritious supply of high in vegetable proteins, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and chlorophyll.
Soaked and germinated "oil" seeds, like niger and rape seeds, are rich in protein and carbohydrates; while "starch" seeds, such as canary and millets, are rich in carbohydrates, but lower in protein.
It is in invaluable food at all times; however, it is especially important for breeding or molting birds. Sprouted seeds also serve as a great rearing and weaning food as the softened shell is easier to break by chicks and gets them used to the texture of seeds.
If you have access to the food items that are part of their natural diet (listed above), that may increase your chances of maintaining a healthy breeding flock.
2009 IUCN Red List Category (as evaluated by BirdLife International - the official Red List Authority for birds for IUCN): Near Threatened
Justification This forest associated species occurs in the Sundaic lowlands where deforestation has been widespread in the recent past. It is consequently considered Near Threatened, because it is assumed to have experienced moderately rapid declines. It is not considered more threatened because it can use human modified habitats.
Family/Sub-family Psittacidae
Species name author (Boddaert, 1783)
Taxonomic source(s) Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)
Population estimate
Population trend
Range estimate (breeding/resident)
Country endemic?
unknown
decreasing
-
No
Range & population Psittacula longicauda occurs in the Andaman and Nicobar islands, India (where it was abundant though little recent information is available), Coco islands, Myanmar, peninsular Thailand, Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Kalimantan (including the Natuna Islands), Sumatra (including the Riau Islands), Indonesia and Brunei (widespread).
Ecology: It occurs in coastal and lowland areas to at least 300 m preferring extreme lowland swamp (including peatswamp) forest in the Thai-Malay Peninsula, although it avoids primary forest in Borneo. In addition it has been recorded from many types of lowland evergreen forest including mangroves, oil-palm plantations and coconut groves. It prefers forest edge, including near cultivated areas and will visit parks and gardens. It is gregarious and flocks of thousands have been reported from the Nicobars and Borneo, although smaller numbers are more common. It makes poorly understood movements, being abundant in a locality for a period, then absent for years. It feeds on fruit and nests communally, using tree cavities and laying 2-3 eggs in December-February.
Threats Rates of forest loss in the Sundaic lowlands have been extremely rapid because of a variety of factors, including the escalation of logging and land conversion, with deliberate targeting of all remaining stands of valuable timber including those inside protected areas, plus forest fires (particularly in 1997-1998).
Conservation measures underway CITES Appendix II.
Conservation measures proposed Monitor the species in trade. Monitor habitat trends and rates of deforestation in the Sundaic lowlands using satellite images and remote sensing. Research the species's ecology to improve understanding of movements it makes. Effectively protect significant areas of suitable habitat at key sites, in both strictly protected areas and multiple use areas.
References BirdLife International (2001).
Further web sources of information
Fully detailed species accounts from the Threatened birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book (BirdLife International 2001), together with new information collated since the publication of the Red Data Book
Text account compilers Phil Benstead (BirdLife International), Jeremy Bird (BirdLife International)
IUCN Red List evaluators Jeremy Bird (BirdLife International), Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International)
Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Psittacula longicauda. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 29/7/2009
This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums
Family/Sub-family Psittacidae
Species name author (Boddaert, 1783)
Taxonomic source(s) Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993)
Population estimate
Population trend
Range estimate (breeding/resident)
Country endemic?
unknown
decreasing
-
No
Range & population Psittacula longicauda occurs in the Andaman and Nicobar islands, India (where it was abundant though little recent information is available), Coco islands, Myanmar, peninsular Thailand, Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Kalimantan (including the Natuna Islands), Sumatra (including the Riau Islands), Indonesia and Brunei (widespread).
Ecology: It occurs in coastal and lowland areas to at least 300 m preferring extreme lowland swamp (including peatswamp) forest in the Thai-Malay Peninsula, although it avoids primary forest in Borneo. In addition it has been recorded from many types of lowland evergreen forest including mangroves, oil-palm plantations and coconut groves. It prefers forest edge, including near cultivated areas and will visit parks and gardens. It is gregarious and flocks of thousands have been reported from the Nicobars and Borneo, although smaller numbers are more common. It makes poorly understood movements, being abundant in a locality for a period, then absent for years. It feeds on fruit and nests communally, using tree cavities and laying 2-3 eggs in December-February.
Threats Rates of forest loss in the Sundaic lowlands have been extremely rapid because of a variety of factors, including the escalation of logging and land conversion, with deliberate targeting of all remaining stands of valuable timber including those inside protected areas, plus forest fires (particularly in 1997-1998).
Conservation measures underway CITES Appendix II.
Conservation measures proposed Monitor the species in trade. Monitor habitat trends and rates of deforestation in the Sundaic lowlands using satellite images and remote sensing. Research the species's ecology to improve understanding of movements it makes. Effectively protect significant areas of suitable habitat at key sites, in both strictly protected areas and multiple use areas.
References BirdLife International (2001).
Further web sources of information
Fully detailed species accounts from the Threatened birds of Asia: the BirdLife International Red Data Book (BirdLife International 2001), together with new information collated since the publication of the Red Data Book
Text account compilers Phil Benstead (BirdLife International), Jeremy Bird (BirdLife International)
IUCN Red List evaluators Jeremy Bird (BirdLife International), Stuart Butchart (BirdLife International)
Recommended citation BirdLife International (2009) Species factsheet: Psittacula longicauda. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 29/7/2009
This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums
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