Long-tailed Parakeet

Scientific Name: Psittacula longicauda
Malay Name: Bayan Melayu
Chinese Name: 长尾鹦鹉

Range:
Found from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo

Taxonomy:
Polytypic. Subspecies are: tytleri, nicobarica, modesta, longicauda, defontainei.

Local Subspecies: longicauda

Size: 40-42 cm

Identification:
Male has mostly green overall plumage with long purplish-blue tail-streamers, bright red bill, reddish-pink head-sides and nape, deep green crown and broad black malar band. Female resembles male but has shorter tail-streamers, brownish bill, greenish nape, dark green malar band and reddish-pink supercilium. Juvenile resembles female but has less red on head, indistinct malar band and no tail-streamers.

Similar looking species: Red-breasted Parakeet, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Coconut Lorikeet

Habitat: Forest, forest edge, secondary growth, parks and gardens.

Behaviour/Ecology:

Local Status: Uncommon resident

Conservation Status: Vulnerable (BirdLife International 2018)

Location: Central Catchment Forest, Dairy Farm Nature Park, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Singapore Botanic Gardens, Goldhill Avenue, Malcolm Park, Bidadari, Neo Tiew Lane 2 and Kranji Marsh.

Featured articles:

• Local extinctions of Singapore birds (Science)

Long-tailed Parakeet at Jelutong Tower. Photo credit: Francis Yap

Female Long-tailed Parakeet at Bidadari. Photo Credit: Adrian Silas Tay

Long-tailed Parakeet at Jelutong Tower. Photo credit: Francis Yap

Male Long-tailed Parakeet at Jelutong Tower. Photo Credit: Francis Yap

Female and juvenile Long-tailed Parakeets at Jelutong Tower. Photo Credit: Francis Yap

Male Long-tailed Parakeet at Jelutong Tower. Photo Credit: Francis Yap

Long-tailed Parakeet at Jelutong Tower. Photo credit: Francis Yap

Long-tailed Parakeet at Jelutong Tower. Photo credit: Francis Yap