Bangladesh has seven species of parakeet, among them the plum-headed parakeet, known locally as hiraman tia and, depending on the area, as tal kesh tia, pushpa kesh tia or the plum-headed bird. Prothom Alo photographer Hasan Mahmud has published a photo story of these birds at Mohadipur in Badalgachhi upazila, Naogaon.
The parakeets come down in flocks to feed on grass seed and grain crops, but they are very shy: the moment they sense people, the whole flock flies off. The pictures show the birds coming down one by one only when they feel safe.
According to the captions, a female perched on top of a tall bamboo all but disappears among the leaves, while the male, with its pink head, is the more striking of the two. One hangs from a stalk to feed, another snips the tip of a grain plant and flies off to eat in safety on a high branch, and a parakeet perched on a blade of grass looks like a colourful flower.
When frightened, the birds rise high above the field; some leave without food, others fly off with a heavy beakful. This coming and going can be seen in the morning and at dusk.
The pictures were published in Prothom Alo's photo section; the descriptions are written in our words. The cover picture shows a plum-headed parakeet in Joypur Forest, West Bengal.
Photo: Tisha Mukherjee / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Source: Prothom Alo
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