The plum-headed parakeet (Psittacula cyanocephala) is native to the Indian subcontinent. Its natural range stretches from the foothills of the Himalayas in the north to Sri Lanka in the south, and covers large parts of India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and adjacent Pakistan.

Within this region it is a bird of open deciduous and moist forest, woodland edges and well-wooded country. It also occurs in farmland, orchards, plantations and gardens, especially where trees and water are nearby. In hilly areas it is found up to about 1,500 metres; it avoids the high Himalayas and the driest desert regions of the north-west.

The plum-headed parakeet is largely resident, but makes seasonal, nomadic movements in search of food, following flowering and fruiting trees and gathering in flocks where food is plentiful. Across much of its range it is a common, familiar bird and is classified as Least Concern.

The map above shows the species’ original range, marked in red.