african ringneck vs. indian ringneck

Question
I bought my bird from a breeder 3 yrs ago, she told me my bird was an african ringneck, but looking at pictures, I thing I actually have an indian ringneck.  What is the difference???

Answer
African and Indian Ringnecks look basically identical. To be honest, I don't have any experience with African Ringnecks- and probably wouldn't be able to tell them apart myself. I would recommend contacting your bird's breeder for additional information on African ringnecks- and the differences between African and Indian Ringneck Parakeets.

Here is one view on the differences between Indian and African Ringnecks that I got offline for you:

"The African Ringneck is sometimes confused with the Indian Ringneck. Separately they may seem quite similar, but if they are placed next to each other the differences are readily apparent. The Indian Ringneck is larger than the African. The Indian Ringneck usually measures 16 inches in length, whereas the African Ringneck averages a mere 14 inches. Both male and female African Ringnecks have dazzling long tails, noticeably longer than those of the Indian Ringneck. Mature African Ringnecks have plum colored beaks and pale yellow eyes. Males and females can be distinguished visually. Males have a largely green plumage with yellow-green feathers appearing under the wing covets. They have wide black bands on their cheeks and black chins. True to their names, they have a rose pink ring on the back of their necks. The females do not have the black markings on their cheeks or chin and are lacking the pink ring. They also have shorter tails than the male. Their grey eyes easily distinguish immature individuals from adults. Aside from their grey eyes, immatures largely resemble the females. Unlike the Indian Ringneck, the African does not have a multitude of color mutations. At this time, however, there is a lovely blue mutation, though it is quite uncommon."

I hope this helps.

-Maggie