Breeding Habitats of the Rose-Ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri ) in the Cultivations of Central Punjab

Abstract

Six major habitats viz ., croplands, villages, roadside forest plantations, canal side forest plantations, city road avenues and a university campus, all located in Central Punjab, of the rose-ringed parakeet ( Psittacula krameri borealis ) were surveyed during the breeding season of the parakeet in 1997 and 1998. In the croplands, from a total of 2224 trees, 64 nests (0.002 nests per tree), from 2094 trees of the road side forest plantations, 248 nests (0.118 nests per tree), from 3952 trees of the canal side forest plantations 96 (0.002 nests per tree), from 258 trees of the city road avenues 56 nests (0.217 nests per tree), and from 199 trees of the university campus 52 (0.26 nests per tree) were recorded. It was inferred that the kind of trees and their age were the important factors determining the number of parakeet nests in various habitats.