Alexandrines in Ontario, Canada: Alexandrine parakeet / parrot ~ Psittacula eupatria

ALEXANDRINE CHARACTERISTICS

Length: 63 cm ( 24 inches ) including the tail which is about 38 cm ( 15 inches )

Weight: anywhere from 220 grams ( 7- 4/5 oz. ) - 250 grams ( 9 oz ) or more.

Young: Resemble the hen but with much shorter tail feathers. The iris is greyish. Sometimes can be seen around the back of the neck, a paler green ring encircling to the front and a very faint black line starting under the lower mandible going around to behind the cheeks. The legs are greyish. Adult plumage acquired anytime after 14 months.

Adults: The male is a medium green, brighter on the head and a paler shade of green underneath and the wings the darkest green. Innermost top tail feathers bluish - green with yellow - white tips. Underneath tail feathers are yellow. The iris is yellowish - white. A black collar encircles the neck, widest where it meets the lower mandible and narrowest at the back of the neck where it is edged with a large band of pink. The crown and cheeks are faintly tinged with greyish blue and a faint black line joins the eye and cere. Has a deep red beak. There is a very dark red patch on the secondary coverts. The legs are grayish - brown.

The female lacks the black and pink neck ring, being mainly green with the wing coverts deep red. The tail is slightly shorter than the male.

Subspecies: Nepalese Alexandrine Parakeet - Psittacula e. nipalensis. The difference is in the breast and abdomen feathers of both sexes are marked with a grey-white tinge. Their cheeks and nape are suffused with blue and the broad band to he nape is larger. They are approximately 24.5 inches longer. Located in eastern Afghanistan, western and eastern Pakistan, central and northern India, Nepal, eastern Bhutan and Assam.

Andaman Island Parakeet - Psittacula e. magnirostris. The difference is in the breast and abdomen feathers in both sexes they are marked with a grey-white tinge. The pink band to the nape is broader. Above the pink band, there is a blue tinge to the nape. Which is almost none existent. The shoulder patch is a lighter colour and the bill is larger and heavier. Length is 24 inches. Their origin is the Andaman.

Indo-Burmese Alexandrine Parakeet - Psittacula e. avensis. The top of the head is a more yellowish green with a blue tinge restricted to the cheek area. The blue is absent from the nape. The band to the nape is pinker and much narrower. Their origin is Burma, Cachar district in Assam to Amherst.

Laos Alexandrine Parakeet - Psittacula e. siamensis. Similar to eupatria, with the back of the head and nape a washed pale blue, which can extend to the crown in some specimans; the cheeks are a yellowish-green, the band to the nape is pinker and narrow. The shoulder patch is slighty smaller and a deeper red. The skin of the feet are yellowish. This is the smallest sub-species at 22 inches. Their origin is Cambodis, Laos, northern and western Thailand and Vietnam.

Origin: India, Bangladesh, Burma, Andaman Islands ( Bay of Bengal ), Nepal, Pakistan, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Assam, Kampuchea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.

Habitat: These very intelligent birds live in small groups during the day and flock together in the evening in very large groups consisting of hundreds or more to spend the night in palm trees, separating again in the morning. Once a group has been formed, they generally remain together. The birds gnaw out their own nests in the trees of their choice.

Captivity: Sexual maturity is at 3 years. The female can lay anywhere from 2 - 6 eggs per clutch. They can double clutch in a breeding season. Breeding success can easily be achieved as long as they are housed in a roomy aviary, one pair per cage. The nest box should be at least 12" x 12" x 30", entrance 4.5 inches in diameter. Incubation time is about 26 days. After 7 or so weeks, the young leave the nest.

Link to Photos of Subspecies Click Here

Alexandrine Parakeet Cock

Owner/Photo Jade Welch

Alexandrine Parakeet Cock (left) & Hen (right)

" ALEX " & " ADRIANNA "

Proud parents of the babies below.

Owners/Photo Darlene & Kevin Johnson

Apr. 7, 2001 " ZEUS " at 30 DAYS OLD

Photo/Bred by Darlene & Kevin Johnson

" GONZO THE GREAT "

Pictured here at 21 weeks on August 6, 2001

Bred by Darlene & Kevin Johnson

Photo/Owners Teresa & Terry Arseneau in P.E.I.

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Photos of Alexandrine Parakeets from Egg to Weaning

Click on thumbnail below to see a larger photo

02-26-2001 "ALEX " & " ADRIANNA "

Alexandrine eggs - 5 fertile far top left is infertile. It was the first one laid.

COIN: TOP - quarter BOTTOM - toonie

Bred/Photo

Darlene & Kevin Johnson

03-16-2001 " ALEX " & " ADRIANNA "

ALEXANDRINES in the nest

AGES 7, 8, 2 & 4 DAYS OLD

Starting at the bottom,

counter clockwise

Bred/Photo

Darlene & Kevin Johnson

03-22-2001 " ALEX " & " ADRIANNA "

ALEXANDRINES in the nest

AGES 8, 13, 10 & 14 DAYS OLD

Starting at the bottom, clockwise

Bred/Photo

Darlene & Kevin Johnson

03-22-2001 " ALEX " & " ADRIANNA "

ALEXANDRINES in the nest

AGES 14, 10, 13 & 8 DAYS OLD

From left to right

Bred/Photo

Darlene & Kevin Johnson

03-27-2001 " ALEX " & " ADRIANNA "

ALEXANDRINES in the nest

AGES 19, 18 15 & 13 DAYS OLD

From left to right

Bred/Photo

Darlene & Kevin Johnson

Apr. 02, 2001 " ALEX " & " ADRIANNA "

ALEXANDRINE PARAKEETS

AGES 25, 21, 19 & 24 DAYS OLD

Starting from left to right

Bred/Photo

Darlene & Kevin Johnson

Apr. 02, 2001 " ALEX " & " ADRIANNA "

ALEXANDRINE PARAKEETS

AGES 25, 21, 19 & 24 DAYS OLD

From left to right