An elegant Indian parakeet; the male sports a striking plum-purple head, while the female's head is bluish-grey. Slender and long-tailed, it is a relatively quiet, graceful aviary and companion parakeet.
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Medium parrot, about 33-36 cm long (including long tail), 56-85 g.
Lifespan
15–25 years
Social needs
pair
Native region
Indian subcontinent (India, Nepal, Sri Lanka region)
Origin
Old World
Climate
⛅ Subtropical
Family
Psittaculidae
Genus
Psittacula
Part of the Ringneck Parakeets
Ringneck and Asiatic parakeets (genus Psittacula) are slender, long-tailed parrots of Africa and Asia, known for their elegant proportions, ringed or richly colored heads, and intelligent, talkative natures.
From the minimum an animal needs to be kept humanely, up to the ideal setup. Bigger is almost always better — minimums are floors, not targets.
Photo coming soon
Minimum
Pair flight cage
48 × 24 × 36 in, bar spacing 1/2–5/8 in
A tail-heavy long-tailed Asian parakeet — length and width matter more than height. Provide varied natural perches, swing space for the 14-in tail, foraging toys, and a vegetable-rich diet. They are shy and best kept in compatible pairs.
Photo coming soon
Recommended
Indoor flight + daily out-of-cage
72 × 36 × 48 in flight cage
A 6-ft horizontal flight gives real wing extension and tail clearance. Add foraging stations, rope perches, and several hours of supervised out-of-cage flight or aviary time daily.
Photo coming soon
Ideal
Outdoor aviary
10 × 4 × 6 ft planted outdoor aviary
Walk-in aviary with long flight, planted shrubs, bathing, and a frost-free shelter section. Plum-heads are sweet-natured but not very vocal — aviary life with their own kind brings out natural foraging, flight, and quiet contact-call behaviour.
Life & growth stages
How this animal changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.
Photo coming soon
Egg
Birds develop inside a hard-shelled egg incubated by the parent(s). Egg size, shell color, and clutch size vary by species; the embryo develops over days to weeks before hatching.
Photo coming soon
Hatchling / Chick
Hatchlings are either altricial — naked, blind, and dependent on parents (typical of parrots and songbirds) — or precocial — downy, mobile, and self-feeding soon after hatching (typical of poultry and waterfowl). Down gives way to the first feathers.
Photo coming soon
Juvenile / Fledgling
Fledglings grow in their juvenile plumage and begin to fly and feed themselves, though they may still beg from parents at first. Juvenile feathering is often duller than the adult and is replaced as the bird matures.
Adult
Adults attain full body size and mature plumage, and are capable of breeding. Many species show distinct adult coloration, and in sexually dimorphic birds males and females differ in plumage, size, or markings.
(c) thephoxinus, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) via iNaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/172014627
Color & pattern variants
Natural variants occur in the wild; selectively bred (man-made) variants were developed in captivity.
As long-tailed, strong-flying parakeets, plum-heads need generous horizontal space; a long flight aviary of at least roughly 2.4-3 m is ideal, with natural perches positioned to protect their long tail feathers, plus foraging and chew toys and a shallow bath. They are relatively peaceful for Psittacula parakeets and can sometimes share a planted aviary, though caution is needed in breeding season.
They tolerate a range of temperatures but should be protected from frost, damp, and drafts; outdoor aviaries in cool climates need a dry, frost-protected shelter. No UVB is strictly required indoors with good nutrition, but natural light and bathing support feather condition and the rich color of the male's head.
Substrate
Plain paper or newspaper liners on the cage/aviary floor are simplest and let you monitor droppings; in planted outdoor aviaries, a well-draining sand or gravel base under the flight keeps the area dry and easy to disinfect.
Equipment & setup
This active, long-tailed parakeet needs a long flight cage or aviary for horizontal flight rather than a tall narrow cage, fitted with natural-branch perches and plenty of fresh chew wood. Provide full-spectrum lighting, a bathing dish, and frost protection if housed outdoors, since they tolerate cool but not freezing conditions; sheltered, draft-free housing is essential.
Diet
Feed a base of formulated pellets or a quality parakeet/large-parakeet seed mix, supplemented daily with leafy greens, vegetables, sprouted seed, and fruit such as apple, pomegranate, and berries. They enjoy foraging, so scatter-feeding and foraging toys are valuable.
Provide cuttlebone or a mineral block for calcium and clean fresh water. Limit high-fat seeds to prevent obesity, and avoid avocado, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, and salty foods.
Behavior & temperament
Plum-headed parakeets are generally gentle, graceful, and quieter than many Psittacula relatives, with a soft, pleasant voice rather than a harsh screech. Hand-raised birds can be tame and affectionate, and the species has a reputation for being one of the more amenable Asiatic parakeets. They are active and enjoy flying, climbing, and chewing.
They are intelligent and need enrichment through foraging, fresh branches, and shreddable toys, plus regular interaction if kept as companions. Like other parakeets, they can go through a 'bluffing' nippy stage as juveniles that consistent, gentle handling helps them outgrow.
Health
Common concerns include psittacine beak and feather disease (Psittacula species are notably susceptible to PBFD), respiratory and fungal infections, intestinal parasites from ground foraging, and nutritional disease from seed-only diets. Breeding hens can suffer egg-binding without adequate calcium.
Prevention includes a varied diet, clean and well-ventilated housing, parasite monitoring, strict quarantine of new birds (given PBFD risk), and routine avian-vet care. Watch for feather abnormalities, lethargy, or beak changes and seek prompt veterinary evaluation.
Tips, DIY & hacks
Plum-heads are gentle and do well in aviary settings, often kept with their own kind; give them branches with bark and leafy browse to strip for natural foraging. Offer sprouted seeds, soaked legumes, and chopped fruit/veg alongside a quality parakeet mix to keep plumage vivid and provide enrichment.
