Greening the sky
Comments: 22
The other day while walking home two beautiful parrots flew by. I don’t think I’d ever seen their kind around here before and wished I could have had a closer look, but they disappeared in a flash of green.
Yesterday I was taking a picture of my daughter on her new bike when this fine specimen happened by. My daughter — who knows all the birds (on a first name basis, I suspect) — told me what they’re called in Japanese (I’ve already forgotten and will have to ask her again when she gets home) but I haven’t been able to find what they’re called in English.
I hope it’s not “Common Green Parrot.”
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Posted to Photographs • 2004.02.23 (Mon) • 14:38
Comments
Posted by Virginia 2004.02.23, 15:04
Your parrot/sky combo has an uncannily similar colour palette to that of your website background… or at least it does on my monitor. Nice one.
Posted by bsag 2004.02.23, 17:47
I’m pretty sure it’s a ring-necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri). They are an unusually hardy parrot species, originating in India, but they seem to have managed to find a foot-hold in the most unlikely places. There’s a large colony in south-east England, which was established by escaped pet birds. It’s quite a surreal sight to see huge squawking flocks of parrots flying over Surrey gardens.
Posted by Jerry Halstead 2004.02.23, 21:10
I saw/heard a few mad flocks of these in St. Petersburg, FL last month. Raucous bunch. Green. Very green.
The official name is something like: “what the hell was that noise?!”
Posted by jh 2004.02.23, 21:54
bsag —- Many thanks for the positive identification. I have another picture of the bird, taken as it looked to one side, and the ring around its neck is very clear. In Japanese they’re called wakakehonsei-inko (“inko” means parakeet but I can’t find the meaning of the first part).
Jerry —- The link that bsag provided says they’re very noisy, too, but the ones I’ve seen don’t seem terribly raucous. Apparently there’s a place not too far away where they congregate —- several dozen of them —- so I’m going to visit around sundown as soon as I get the chance. Might just take the tape recorder along as I’m sure the joint’s jumping when a group get together.
Posted by Massimo Fiorentino 2004.02.23, 23:47
As usual, a brilliant pic!!!!
Posted by mademoiselle a. 2004.02.24, 06:39
I’m all skipping of joy :) And yes, this is a green band parakeet!! They are a little sensation here in the Heidelberg region, as they have settled down and no one can say actually say how they make it through the winters here. These parakeets, though, are very sturdy fellows. As always - you have a great sense for sujets, and this picture made my day!
Posted by Woody 2004.02.24, 12:32
Looks just like Alex, my family’s long-lost Ring-Neck Parakeet! Of course, I’m sure it’s not him, since you’re on the other side of the world from us here in southern Georgia, USA. He was such a cool bird, but didn’t quite have talking down.
The other posters’ stories about colonies of ring-necks in unlikely places makes me mourn for the hunted-to-extinction Carolina Parakeet, the only parakeet native to North America.
So, thanks for the pic. Reminds me of my Dad’s aviary full of exotic birds, and waking up on summer mornings easily fantisizing that I was in a jungle somewhere as I listened to the birds greet the new day.
Can we have a desktop-size version of this picture? Pweeze?
Posted by Josh S 2004.02.25, 05:38
It’s an Indian Ring-Neck, I believe.
輪掛け本青 seems to be the kanji for “wakake honsei” (assuming this page does the encoding right). Wa-kake is “with a ring around it[’s neck]” and honsei is “true-blue,” or something of the sort. This page describes it as a blue ring-necked parrot, Psittacula krameri manillensis.
Posted by pixelkitty 2004.02.26, 14:25
It looks like an indian ring neck parrot, but without something for scale it’s difficult to be absolute on that.
My father is an avid aviculturist (bird breeder - parrots only for him though) and had several pairs of indian ring necks in the collection.
Such a pretty bird, and not normally all that noisy unless it’s a large flock and feeding time.
Posted by pixelkitty 2004.02.26, 14:28
Here is an excellent photo of an adult male ringneck, if you want to compare :)
I heard that a pet dealer released about 200 of this kind, around fifteen years ago, in Setagaya-Ku. This one must be an offspring. You can see a bevy of probably more than 50 parakeets almost as colorful as this in the precints of a shrine, Oomiya-Hachimangu, {{@in Suginami-ku.
Posted by kevin 2004.02.26, 21:51
I went out for a jog early one morning and came across them making a feast of my neighbor’s sunflowers. Lucky for me I always have my camera :)
http://www.bastish.net/rememberwhen/002189.html http://www.bastish.net/gallery/album67
Posted by Zee 2004.03.14, 13:43
it is an indian ring-necked parakeet, I have one sitting on a perch 5 feet away, they are quite green, and friggen loud, mine is named Max and he is 9yrs old,
Posted by polly 2004.04.24, 23:32
yes, it is ring necked parakeet i have one at home
Posted by luke 2005.04.03, 10:38
I live in Australia and I love birds I’m 12 years old this is my favourite type of parakeet and it’s called Indian ring-neck parakeet or the Rose-ringed parakeet. They grow the black ring that is around thier neck when they are about 1 or 2 years old.
Posted by luke 2005.04.03, 10:42
They come in the colours of green, blue grey and yellow. And yes they do originate from asia.
Posted by susan 2005.07.18, 00:52
It is definately an Indian Ring Neck Parakeet. At 35 I got my first bird, a ring neck. After taking him to visit my Father one weekend, he told me that these are the exact same birds that use to fly around our house when I was growing up in Temple CIty, California. I could remember hearing them coming from what seemed like a mile away and running outside to see this loud, rowdy, sea of green pass over our house. After years of “the parrots are coming, the parrots are coming”, I grew up to find that there is a flock that has lived in the area of Live Oak Park in Temple City for a few decades now. When I got my ring neck I didn’t know he was in fact the same breed but now I have even one more reason to adore him. They are great birds, voracious talkers and very loving. I do get a regular dose of the “pee-yak” call that brings me back to my childhood again except it’s only times one bird not the whole flock…..thank goodness!!
Posted by Claire 2006.06.05, 00:49
lmao at the comment from Jerry bout “what the hell was that noise” They r indeed noisy buggers. We hav a 3yr old we called dougal(he says his name amongst other things) We thought it was a boy but its not. It never got its ring neck and loves all males(unfortunately the poor thing lives with 3 females lol!) Any nice non smokin male wanna adopt?
Posted by kim 2006.06.17, 22:49
How wonderful to live somewhere that this bird is flying area your nieghborhood. I have a male named ‘booger’ and he can get quite pesty at times, but he’s loved all the same. I live in the Chicago area in the US and so we don’t have many colorful birds in the wild here. Mine talks quite a bit saying various things such as ‘come on in’ and ‘what are ya doing?’ and I’ve found that whatever I’, eating he HAS to have some. He really likes corn on the cob and chicken. That bird can smell a french fry at 50 paces. Right now he’s busy ‘picking’ on the two cockatiels I also have, so I should go rescue them.
Posted by Xuhuair 2006.06.19, 07:29
it is indian ringed necked i like and love this type ofparkeets
Posted by Sarah Reidy 2006.11.11, 06:01
The photo you have is an Indian RingNeck Parrot. They have escaped in england while some people were going to do a show and now they have been breeding alot and their are already 5000 of them in england. They also spread to the netherlands,germany,belgium and france . Its preety strange thet they survie considering that they would get frostbite from the cold winters. I know this because i have 50 budgies,3 lovebirds,4 blue indian ringneck parrots,3 cockatiels,2 senegal parrots and 1 red-fronted kakarika.
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