Parrots of Sri Lanka

Brightly coloured, lively and pretty — parrots are often a hallmark of a lush tropical paradise. Found all over the tropics, subtropics and some temperate regions, parrots belong to a group of diverse, intelligent birds that are often found lovable and endearing, particularly because of their amazing talents at mimicking human speech. However, hunting, trapping, the pet trade and habitat loss have resulted in 111 out of 398 currently extant species being classified as threatened with extinction by the IUCN*.

Rose-ringed Parakeet, a native of Africa and South Asia that has been introduced worldwide by the pet trade.

All parrots belong to the order Psittaciformes, and are very roughly classified as follows:

Order Psittaciformes 

1. Superfamily Strigopoidea - New Zealand parrots
2. Superfamily Cacatuoidea - cockatoos 
3. Superfamily Psittacoidea - true parrots

Sri Lanka has 5 species of parrots, all belonging under the superfamily Psittacoidea. All are resident species, while 2 among them are endemics.

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The smallest psittacine in Sri Lanka is the tiny, sparrow-sized Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot (Loriculus beryllinus), formerly known as the Ceylon Lorikeet. “Lorikeet” is a misnomer, though — true lories and lorikeets belong to a different subfamily. 

A fairly common endemic in wet zone lowlands and mid-hills, it is also rarely found in foothills of the dry zone. One of the easiest ways to identify it is by keeping your eyes on the sky and watching for a small, speedy silhouette crying a high-pitched “tzi-zi-zit”. This was how I spotted one for the first time — during a PT session at a school camp in Meepe in 2014. 

Since then, I’ve spotted them in Kandy, Sinharaja, Hiyare and Matale, to name a few sites. In Matale, I was able to film this distant bird at a possible nesting hole.

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From the smallest — to the biggest parrot in Sri Lanka, the Alexandrine Parakeet (Psittacula eupatria). This rather uncommon resident is distinguished by its big build, hefty bill, longer tail and red shoulder patches. 

The first time I spotted an Alexandrine Parakeet was actually in India, in 2011. Almost five years passed until I saw it again in the woodlands near Dunhinda Falls, in the Badulla district — where we saw a few on the treetops and nesting in tree trunks.

Alexandrine Parakeet, Dunhinda trail

The Alexandrine Parakeet is an uncommon resident of lowland and lower hill forests and woodlands, locally common in some areas, more so in the dry zone.

Alexandrine Parakeet by nesting hole, Dunhinda trail

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The typical parrot that every Sri Lankan can recognise is the ubiquitous Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri). Say “girawā” or “kili”, or even just “parrot”, the image that comes to mind is a sleek green parakeet with a red upper mandible and (if male) a rosy ring around its neck. 

Rose-ringed Parakeet in Anuradhapura 

A common bird throughout the island (apart from higher hills, where it is a rare nomadic visitor), it can often be seen in small flocks, flying over urban and rural areas alike, uttering shrill, high pitched calls. Even at home in Colombo, I’ve spotted them perching in small flocks on water tanks and TV aerials, even courting and mating on them!

Rose-ringed Parakeets, Thalangama Lake, Colombo

In rural areas, the Rose-ringed Parakeet occurs in bigger numbers and loves to frequent paddyfields, where they feed on rice grains and are considered a pest. Due to this, and its IUCN status of Least Concern, the Rose-ringed Parakeet is one of the few bird species not protected by the law. 

A popular cagebird here and all over the world, feral and naturalised populations occur in many countries and regions including Europe, the Middle East, South Africa and Japan. As a resident of the Himalayas, it is well-adapted to the cold winters of temperate countries**.

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The smallest of the parakeets is an uncommon resident of wet lowlands and mid-hills, restricted to foothills in the dry zone — the pretty Plum-headed Parakeet (Psittacula cyanocephala). Endemic to the Indian Subcontinent, it is unmistakable due to its small size and yellow bill, and the male’s deep pink head (which, in the female, is grey-blue with a yellow collar). Its softer, more melodious “tuii” flight call is rather different from the others’.

Male Plum-headed Parakeet, Udawalawe National Park 

I’ve only seen a Plum-headed Parakeet once — in Udawalawe National Park. It was a long way away, but the guide was able to spot it and identify it, and the camera was just enough to capture a record shot. 

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Finally, the endemic Layard’s Parakeet (Psittacula calthropae). This bird is named after a married couple: 19th century British naturalist Edgar Leopold Lazard and his first wife, illustrator Barbara Anne Calthrop. An uncommon, local resident with a similar distribution to the Plum-headed Parakeet, Layard’s is distinctive for its stouter build, shorter tail and blue-grey head and back, suffused with the green of its wings and underparts. 

I’ve seen Layard’s Parakeets just once, during our first visit to Sinharaja in 2015. A small flock was squabbling in the trees above the trail, uttering their loud, raucous “ak-ak-ak-ak” calls. Since then, I’ve been watching the skies whenever we pass by or visit wet zone forests, hoping to see one again. 

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I’ve ticked off all five species of Sri Lankan parrot on my life list — but there’s a long way to go and I’d love to see more of them again, hopefully closer. 

1. Sri Lanka Hanging Parrot (Loriculus beryllinus) - endemic
2. Alexandrine Parakeet (Psittacula eupatria) - uncommon resident
3. Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) - common resident
4. Plum-headed Parakeet (Psittacula cyanocephala) - uncommon resident
5. Layard’s Parakeet (Psittacula calthropae) - uncommon endemic

*Olah, G., Butchart, S.H.M., Symes, A. et al. Ecological and socio-economic factors affecting extinction risk in parrots. Biodivers Conserv 25, 205–223 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-015-1036-z

**http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6478911.stm