Rose-ringed Parakeet attending nesting hole, Yala NP, Sri Lanka
I was happy to see this bird in Sri Lanka. In my cold home country of the Netherlands, this is the only tropical bird occurring. It was introduced and is able to survive, both in the cold and in urban areas. I once was witness to the incredible strength of its beak, as in a bird park one set on my shoulder and deformed a solid metal button of my coat. It is with this strength that they are able to make nests like these, although they gladly reuse an existing one.
There's two other species looking similar to this in Sri Lanka, I'll post later, as we spotted those in a different park.
The rose-ringed parakeet is a medium-sized parrot in the genus Psittacula, of the family Psittacidae. It has disjunct native ranges in Africa and the Indian Subcontinent, and is now introduced into many other parts of the world where feral populations have established themselves and are bred for the exotic pet trade.
