THE RING-NECKED PARROT (Psittacula krameri)

There are only a handful of people who don’t know what to figure when talking about the ring-necked
parrot.
This medium-sized parrot has won the hearts of many enthusiasts due to its slender build, strong
adaptability and many beautiful mutations.
In addition to the nominate species, the ring-necked parrot has 3 subspecies that are distributed in Asia
and Africa. They are classified as follows:

– African ring-necked parrot                       Psittacula krameri krameri
– Abyssinian ring-necked parrot                Psittacula krameri parvirostris
– Indian ring-necked parrot                       Psittacula krameri manillensis
– Neumann’s ring-necked parrot               Psittacula krameri borealis

The first two subspecies are native to African countries, hence the name African ring-necked parrot. The
differences between these African subspecies are minimal.
The last two species are common in Southeast Asia, especially in India and Pakistan, with the very
appropriate name: Indian ring-necked parrot, better known to us as the ‘Ring-necked Parrot’. The
differences between these Asian subspecies are also minimal.
The ring-necked parrots are predominantly green in color and have a bluish-grey tinge on the breast.
The upper bill is red with a black tip, the lower bill largely black. An adult male has a collar that is black in
the front and pink in the neck. The males also have a so-called eye stripe. Usually the males have a clear
blue haze just above the ring in the neck. The eyes are black with a soft yellow iris. The legs are gray with
dark nails. The total body length is 42 – 43 cm. The females are distinguished from the males by the lack
of the black/pink collar; often a green ring can be seen in the neck. The eye stripe is also missing and
they are generally a bit duller in color. Young birds resemble the females except that they have a much
shorter tail.
The African ring-necked parrots are distinguished from their Indian subspecies by their slimmer size and
smaller stature. The total body length is 40 cm. They have a dark red to black bill. They are also beautiful
green in color with a more yellow-green body color. The collar is also not as expressive as on its Indian
cousin.
In the past, the African ring-necked parrots were also called hybrids. They are currently rarely found
among breeders. A number of breeders have managed to achieve breeding results from this strain. The
African ring-necked parrot is not a difficult bird to breed. However the Indian ring-necked parrot has
been cultivated for many years, so that the domestication process started also many years ago. Today,
the variations of the mutations draw attention to the Indian Ring-necked Parrot.
In Europe quite a lot is bred with the mutations of the Indian ring-necked parrot. It cannot be ruled out
that in the past the subspecies and possibly their mutations have been crossed with each other and their
descendants can no longer be recognized as such. The tracks can still be seen today in color tones, size,
bill size, tail length etc. …..
Currently there are about 20 mutations, which together give a hundreds of combinations.
See below the mutations and their inheritance.
– Lutino                    sex-linked recessive
– Pallid(ino)              sex-linked recessive
– Cinnamon              sex-linked recessive
– Opaline                  sex-linked recessive
– Recessive Lutino            autosomal recessive
– Blue                                autosomal recessive
– Turquoise                       autosomal recessive
– Aqua                               autosomal recessive
– Clearhead Fallow           autosomal recessive
– Bronze Fallow                autosomal recessive
– Dun Fallow                     autosomal recessive
– Cleartail (Fallow)            autosomal recessive
– Recessive Pied              autosomal recessive
– Dilute –                           autosomal recessive
– Faded –                          autosomal recessive
– Grey –                            complete dominant
– Edged –                          complete dominant
– Dark Factor                    incomplete dominant
– Violet –                           incomplete dominant
– Misty –                            incomplete dominant
– Spangle –                       incomplete dominant
The end is not in sight yet, which means that the enthusiasts still have a long way to go ……