Starting the week... with #featheredfriday

I normally have less time to post on weekends, and since the friday part is not a rigid one... here goes another post with flying beauties! And the very intelligent kind! These ones are commonly kept as pets, but all of these photos were taken on their natural habitat.

^{Ring necked parakeet / Periquito rabo de junco (PT) - Psittacula krameri, male}

Ring necked parakeets belong to the Psittacidae family, basically the parrots family. Their genus comprises around 13 species, all from Africa and Asia. And this species is probably the most widespread: if you are wondering in Sri Lanka, as I was, and you hear a lot of noise coming from a big green bird, with a long tail, and a red beak, chances are you're looking at a ring necked parakeet!

This photo is from a female. Can you spot the difference?

Males have a black throat, and a black line that encircles the neck and fades to red-rose, resembling a ring around the neck: hence their name! They only develop it around the second year of life. Females, as the one in the photo above, lack that "ring", displaying a full green plummage.

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They are noisy and not that shy, so they can be easily spotted. And if you happen to be near a garden, and that garden has a feeder, and the garden owner happens to leave some food there... they are even less shy!

And I found out, they have a good heart, and like sharing too; with their family, and even with different species! There's room for everyone!

Male, female, and a squirrel having breakfast the same time as I was! 😁

Note: rice IS NOT what these guys should be eating! But as a guest, I thought it would be impolite to point that out to the garden owner. And I have to admite, that feeder provided really cool photos! Happy birding everyone!

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