Parakeets and African Tulip tree

“This morning i came across a female Long-Tailed Parakeet feeding on an African Tulip tree (Spathodea campanula) – specifically the flower bud (above, below). I have seen Red-Breasted Parakeets (Psittacula alexandri) eat both the flowers and the seed pods but I understood that Long-Tailed Parakeet (Psittacula longicauda) did not touch them. Perhaps this individual was just trying it out to find some water trapped there or perhaps the Long-Tailed are learning from the non-native parrots that the tulip tree might be palatable?

“This is a place in Bukit Brown where all three parakeets occur in the same small area – plus Tanimbar Corollas (Cacatua goofing) and Blue-crowned Hanging-parrot (Loriculus galgulus). So perhaps this is a possibility?

Marcel Finlay
Singapore
6th March 2017