Laiba Anees, Muhammad Sajid Nadeem, Sakhawat Ali, Faria Irshad and Abdul Hadi
SUMMARY
This study thoroughly highlights the distribution, abundance, and habitat preferences of four parakeet species in Margalla Hills National Park (MHNP). Eighty-eight walking transects were carried out between October 2023 and June 2024. A total of 140 individuals were recorded, including the rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri), slaty-headed parakeet (Psittacula himalayana), plum-headed parakeet (Psittacula cyanocephala), and Alexandrine parakeet (Psittacula eupatria). The most prevalent species was the rose-ringed parakeet (79 individuals; mean 5.27 ± 0.92), which primarily occurred in open woodlands characterized by trees such as paper mulberry, peepal, kachnar, phulai, and Chinese tallow at lower elevations (450 m). The Slaty-headed Parakeet (56 individuals; mean 11.20 ± 4.08) was confined to pine and mixed forests of chinaberry and banyan at higher elevations (1,604 m). The Plum-headed Parakeet (4 individuals; mean 1.33 ± 0.33) was found in intermediate zones, while the Alexandrine Parakeet (1 individual; mean 1 ± 0), despite being previously abundant and widespread, was located in mid-to-upper elevations.
Keywords: Psittacines, Distribution, Abundance, Adaptation, Conservation