Chaa-min-da? Is that you?

A Plum Headed Parakeet calls out

“Oh sorry, you looked a lot like my former master Chaa-min-da. I thought he was looking for me. Although… it’s been 2 years since I flew out of the open cage, so maybe he’s given up. You’re surprised that I was caged? Well, my kind has been kept as pets for generations by your kind. That’s because we’re a chill species. You feed us, look after us since birth and we’re quite cool with that. It’s a sweet gig! Most of us born and raised that way don’t ever bother leaving, even if we are set free. But a few of us like to spread our wings, get back to the wild and live with our wild brethren.”

Fun Facts

“People keep us pets mainly because of how we look and behave. Us males have purplish-red heads with a black neck ring, quite stylish I must say; the girls have blue-grey feathers on their heads, and some yellow tinged feathers around their necks. The rest of our bodies are primarily green with varying shades all over. We love mimicking our masters and they love it when we learn their language and say stuff to them… Polly wanna peee-nutt? Dawg shatonthe caaapet again Joolia! See? I’m good, aren't I?”

Story of the Photo

Visitors to Explorer by Eco Team in the Sinharaja Rain Forest are always stunned at the immense amount of birdlife found there. The sociable Plum Headed Parakeet is quite at home Sinharaja and Dilum got this shot close to the campsite.