Saturday, December 9, 2017

Hibernating Amsterdam parakeets



Ring-necked parakeets Psittacula krameri visiting a potential nesting cavity today, in a wall in Amsterdam Oost. Reportedly, it were Great spotted woodpeckers Dendrocopos major that constructed the cavity first, but it was later taken over by the parakeets. Whether any of these bred there this year remains unknown. For Amsterdam there are only two other reports of Ring-necked’s occupying holes in walls (here the species nests in tree cavities), but breeding did not get confirmed. This one fits at least three parakeets. Perhaps they find some warmth together this way; it’s currently cold as **** here and much too early for breeding. (Thanks Frank!)