History of Ringneck Parakeet
Author : Aneeza Aslam
Ringneck Parakeet, also known as Rose Ringed Parakeet, originated in Asia from Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka) and is now commonly found in India and Pakistan.
Its immense population in the subcontinent led to the name of a sub-specie as the Indian Ringneck Parakeet. It has spread its habitat to many other parts of the world due to its excellent ability to adapt to different environments and habitats. On average, almost 8 million Parakeets are kept as pets, throughout the world.
Ancient Romans used to domesticate Parakeets as far as 5000 years ago. In Europe, they appeared in 327 B. C. It happened when India was conquered by Alexander, The Great and he became a source to introduce Ringneck Parakeets in Greece. On his way back home, he carried many Parakeets away with him, and one of them gained fame as Alexandrine Parakeet, as it was owned by The Alexander.
During the fall of the Roman Empire, many birds escaped and found their way to other parts of the world and colonized there.
Then, with the emergence of the era of exploration and sea voyages, mainly in the 17th and 18th centuries, merchants began to trade multiple animal and bird species among different countries and so, started to captivate them.
Today, 4 different subspecies of Parakeet birds are found, based on their origin. These subspecies have little difference in them, maybe because of their different geographic position.
African subspecies
Native to West Africa, Uganda (Eastern and Western), Southern Sudan, and Northern Egypt. It also started breeding in Israel and Jordan in the 1980s.
Asian subspecies
It originated from Southern India, so known as Indian Ringneck Parakeet, it is commonly found in Australia, Great Britain, and parts of Europe.
Boreal subspecies
Popular in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Central Burma, this species is found worldwide.
Abyssinian subspecies
Colonized in Somalia, Ethiopia, and some parts of Sudan.
Despite the remarkable ability of these birds to adapt to different environments, still some areas have seen decline in Ringneck Parakeet's population due to increase in avian captivators and breeders.
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