Alexandrine Parakeet

 

I see a lot of the parakeets.  They visit the feeders outside my kitchen window, several times a day and up to 14 at a time.  This one immediately stood out because of the red feathers on its shoulders, possibly the lesser coverts.  The red feathers are an almost exact colour match for the beak.

This bird stayed for long enough for a few photos but I haven't seen it since.  I assumed it was some sort of variant of Ring-necked or Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) but an internet search led me to the Alexandrine Parakeet (Psittacula eupatria).  This is larger, has maroon patches on its wings and a yellow/orange tip to the beak, so that's what my bird is.  The lack of a neck ring means it is either a female or a first-year male.  There are only a handful of records on iRecord in the UK and none this far north.  This bird was with the other parakeets and I suppose is likely to be an escapee.

The Alexandrine Parakeet is named after Alexander the Great who imported them from India to many European countries.  They were, and are, prized as captive birds but they escape from time to time and there are feral populations in many Middle Eastern countries.  They hang around with Ring-necked Parakeets, as my bird was doing.