Hundreds of rare blossom-headed parakeets silhouetted against sunset in SW China’s Yunnan

A photographer recently spotted hundreds of blossom-headed parakeets, a national second-class protected animal, in Ruili city in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China’s Yunnan Province. The silhouettes of the blossom-headed parakeets against the sunset brought a feeling of gentle beauty.

At 26-36 centimeters long and weighing 85-90 grams, the blossom-headed parakeet is a scansorial bird. Its diet includes nuts, berries, weeds, and seeds. The species has a wide distribution in various countries such as China, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Photo shows hundreds of blossom-headed parakeets in Ruili city, southwest China’s Yunnan Province. (Photo/Zhu Bianyong)

The species is known to be distributed in provinces and regions such as Yunnan, Guangdong, and Guangxi. However, the bird has been disappearing for nearly a decade, and was previously thought to no longer exist in China. In April 2015, the species was proven to be still living in China when a photographer spotted several birds breeding in Yingjiang County in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture.

In recent years, places like Yingjiang County, Ruili, and Mangshi have had sightings of blossom-headed parakeets, and these regions have also seen the largest number of the species’ appearances.