Bird guide · Psittacula krameri

Ring-necked Parakeet

What the ring-necked parakeet eats, where it lives, when it comes to feeders and how to recognise it – with sightings from across the UK.

Season: Year-round resident
Size: 15 in (38 cm)
Eats: seeds, nuts, fruit
Feeds: hopper, tray/platform
Most common: England, Wales, Scotland

Ring-necked Parakeet, a garden bird that visits feeders — Photo Cristian Hurtado Cusnir / iNaturalist, CC BY

Food

What do ring-necked parakeets eat?

At feeders, ring-necked parakeets take seeds, nuts, fruit, fat cakes.

A regular visitor to bird tables, often in noisy flocks.

Feeder that suits it

A tube or hopper feeder with sunflower seed or sunflower hearts.

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Range

Where do ring-necked parakeets live?

Around 12,000 pairs, centred on south-east England; US: feral flocks in California and Florida, also Hawaii. By share of all bird sightings, ring-necked parakeets are most common in England (0.4%).

Nations where ring-necked parakeets are most common

Share of all bird sightings in each nation that are ring-necked parakeets, 2019–2024.

Season

Does the ring-necked parakeet migrate?

Year-round resident. Across the UK it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in December.

Share of all bird sightings in the UK that are ring-necked parakeets, by month.

Identification

How to identify the ring-necked parakeet

Adults: Pale green parakeet with a very long pointed tail, red bill, black chin and a black-and-pink collar.

Size: 15 in (38 cm)

On camera

Getting the ring-necked parakeet on a feeder camera

Any seed camera feeder works. Hang it near shrubs for cover, about five feet off the ground, with the lens facing away from direct sun.

Questions