La Tour du Valat

Institut de recherche pour la conservation des zones humides méditerranéennes

Titre :	Determination of the origin of British feral Rose-ringed Parakeets
Auteurs :	Josephine A. Pithon, Auteur ; Calvin Dytham, Auteur
Type de document :	Article
Dans :	British Birds (94(2) February, 2001)
Article en page(s) :	74-79
Résumé :	Four subspecies of Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri are recognised, two African and two Indian. The likely origin of those individuals living in the wild in Britain was investigated by comparing body measurements and colour characters of 180 museum specimens from throughout the species' natural range with those of British feral specimens and captive individuals. Body length and bill length proved to be the parameters most likely to differ among all four subspecies, while toe and wing measurements also differed between some subspecies. Colour characters were of limited use, with the exception of bill colour, which could be used as a secondary criterion for classifying certain individuals. The British parakeets appear to be of Indian type; their wing and toe lengths are similar to those of the northern subspecies borealis, while their bill lengths correspond to those of southern manillensis. Since bill colour is highly variable, it is possible that the birds derive from a mixture of the two Indian subspecies.

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