The Chinese psittacula has a strikingly beautiful plumage and a good ability to talk. It got its English name (Derbyan parakeet) in honor of Edward Stanley, the 13th Graph Derby.
The Derbyan Parakeet, Psittacula derbiana is endemic to Southeastern Tibet, northeastern India and southwestern China; and is now confined to small pockets of moist evergreen forest in the hills of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh and the Chinese province on its border. This species suffers from poaching for the illegal wildlife trade and fetches a high price in the black market. It is perhaps the rarest of all species of Psittacula in mainland Asia. Their natural diet consists of fruits, berries, seeds and leaf buds.
The Derbyan Parakeet is larger than most parakeets. Adult Derbyans average 50 centimeters. These birds are sexually dimorphic, meaning that males and females may be distinguished visually. The plumage is green with black lower cheeks and lores (the regions between the eyes and bill on the side of a bird’s head). Parts of their thighs and wing covets are a mauve to slightly grey-blue and they have striking violet blue heads. Males have a red upper beak, while the females have an entirely black beak. They have pale yellow eyes and grey feet. The female may also be distinguished from the male by the presence of a brown band behind the ear-coverts. Her abdomen plumage is, slightly paler and she has a black upper beak. Immature Derbyan Parakeets are easily distinguished from adults because they have green crowns and napes, upper and lower beak in both males and females are pink. Additionally, their irises are dark, and do not get light until they reach maturity. Young males have a slightly paler abdomen plumage. Adult plumage is attained by two years.
Тhe Derbyan Parakeet reaches sexual maturity between 2 and 3 years of age. It has been reported that they may reach sexual maturity later in the wild, possibly as late as 5 years. The Derbyan Parakeet makes an excellent parent and breeds readily in captivity. The typical breeding season will begin in April or June and clutch sizes average 2 – 4 eggs. The incubation period lasts for 23 – 28 days, and chicks fledge at 8 to 9 weeks of age.
Chinese psittacula, with proper care, lives up to 20-30 years.
