ALEXANDRINE PARAKEETS | UPSC Current Affairs

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Context: The Tamil Nadu Wildlife Crime Control Bureau imposed a fine of Rs 2.5 lakh on actor Robo Shankar for keeping two Alexandrine parakeets at his residence in Chennai.

Details:

Facts:

KINGDOM: Animalia
PHYLUM: Chordata
CLASS: Aves
ORDER: Psittaciformes
FAMILY: Psittaculidae
GENUS: Psittacula
SPECIES: Psittacula eupatria
LIFE SPAN: 25-30 YRS
WEIGHT: 200-300 G
LENGTH: 56-62 CM

About:

The Alexandrine parakeet (Psittacula eupatria ), also known as the Alexandrine parrot, is a medium-sized parrot in the genus Psittacula of the family Psittaculidae.
It is named after Alexander the Great, who transported numerous birds from Punjab to various European and Mediterranean countries and regions, where they were prized by the royalty, nobility and warlords.
Other features:
- Diurnal
- Herbivore
- Arboreal
- Altricial
- Terrestrial
- Nomadic
- Social
- Flocking
- Not a migrant
Alexandrine parakeets are widespread in South and South-East Asia where they live in forests, woodlands, agricultural lands, and mangrove forests.
The main reasons for the species' steep population decline in its native range include habitat loss and excessive capture for the illegal wildlife trade.
Alexandrine parakeets are also persecuted by farmers because flocks of these noisy colorful birds can cause extensive damage to ripening fruits and grain crops like maize and jowar.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Alexandrine parakeet total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.

Domestication:

Alexandrine parakeets are relatively popular pet birds due to their long lifespan in captivity (25–30 years), playful behaviour and ability to mimic human speech.
They are one of the most sought-after cage birds in the Indian market. According to CITES trade data, at least 57,772 Alexandrine parakeets were imported into countries outside their native range between 1981 and 2014.

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chennai/tamil-nadu-actor-robo-shankar-fined-rs-2-5-lakh-for-keeping-alexandrine-parakeets-at-home-8456784/