Jeremiah Looei’s 2012 video caught Red-breasted Parakeets (Psittacula alexandri) roosting in a leafless tree at Pasir Ris Greenbelt (image above, video below).
It would appear that parakeets prefer trees with open crown to roost in. Here Long-tailed Parakeets (Psittacula longicauda) is seen roosting in the Rain Tree (Albizia saman). Although the tree is not leafless, the folding of the leaves in the evening provides a semi-open crown. Chestnut-headed Bee-eaters (Merops leschenaulti) similarly prefer leafless trees to roost in.
On the other hand, Purple-backed Starlings, also known as Daurian Starling (Sturnus sturninus), prefer trees with dense crowns. So do Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica).
Jeremiah Loei
Singapore
10th April 2018
This post is a cooperative effort between Birds, Insects N Creatures Of Asia and BESG to bring the study of birds and their behaviour through photography and videography to a wider audience.