Parrot Island, Andaman.
Home to Thousands of Parakeets at Sunset

About Parrot Island of the Andaman Islands

Parrot Island sits in a mangrove creek off the Baratang coastline, accessible by a 20 to 30 minute boat ride from the Baratang jetty. The island itself is small, low, and densely vegetated, the kind of place you would not look at twice during the day. What happens here every evening at sunset is the only reason anyone comes.

The Alexandrine parakeets that roost here spend their days foraging in the forests and agricultural areas of Baratang Island and the surrounding region. As the light drops in the late afternoon, they begin flying back in groups, small flocks at first, then larger ones, until the noise and movement above the island becomes difficult to take in all at once. The trees fill up fast. Within 20 to 30 minutes of the first birds arriving, the island is hosting what sounds and looks like several thousand parakeets settled in for the night.

The boat ride to reach the island passes through narrow mangrove creeks where the canopy closes over the water in sections. This part of the trip is itself worth paying attention to, the mangroves around Baratang are among the healthiest in the Andaman Islands and the creek passage gives you a close look at the root systems and the bird life that uses the mangrove edge.

Parrot Island History
- A Natural Mangrove Roosting Haven for Parakeets

The name Parrot Island is a local name that predates any tourism to Baratang. Fishermen and residents of Baratang Island have known about the parakeet roosting here for generations. The birds are Alexandrine parakeets, Psittacula eupatria, which the local population has long called parrots, and the island where they gather took that name.

Alexandrine parakeets are a communal roosting species. They forage alone or in small groups during the day but return to a fixed roosting site in large numbers each evening. The island's isolation in a mangrove creek, its dense vegetation, and its distance from human habitation make it a suitable and undisturbed roosting site. The parakeets have been using this island for long enough that it has become a fixed point in their daily pattern.

The Andaman subspecies of the Alexandrine parakeet, Psittacula eupatria magnirostris, is slightly larger than the mainland Indian population and is classified as a distinct subspecies. Males have a red shoulder patch and a deep pink neck ring. Females lack the shoulder patch. At the roosting site, the two are difficult to distinguish in the fading light, but the noise and sheer number of birds make identification almost secondary to the experience of being there.

Parrot Island became known to visitors from Port Blair as Baratang started receiving more tourists in the 2000s. It is now the most distinctive wildlife experience associated with Baratang Island and the primary reason many travelers include Baratang in their Andaman itinerary at all.

Getting to Parrot Island,
-The Baratang Convoy, the Creek, and the Timing

Reaching Parrot Island from Port Blair is a logistics exercise. Baratang Island is approximately 100 kilometers from Port Blair by road, but the route passes through the Jarawa Tribal Reserve, which means all vehicles must travel in a government-organised convoy. The convoy departs Port Blair at fixed times, typically around 6:00 AM, and photography inside the reserve is strictly prohibited. The convoy transit adds time and structure to a journey that is already long.

Once at Baratang, the boat to Parrot Island is hired from the jetty. Shared boats are available if you are traveling independently; tour operators arrange private boats as part of a Baratang package. The creek crossing takes 20 to 30 minutes each way. You need to be at the Baratang jetty by 4:00 PM to board a boat with enough time to reach the island before the roosting begins.

The return from Parrot Island after the roosting is done in low light or full dark, depending on how long you stay. The boat operator handles the return navigation. Most visitors are back at the Baratang jetty by 7:00 PM, from where the return convoy to Port Blair begins. The drive back reaches Port Blair late in the evening, plan for a 9:00 PM to 10:00 PM arrival if you join the return convoy the same day.

Some visitors stay overnight at Baratang to avoid the long return journey on the same day. Basic guesthouse accommodation is available on the island, which also allows an earlier start for the limestone caves and mud volcano the following morning.

Tips for Visiting Parrot Island

• Join the Port Blair convoy by 6:00 AM. The convoy departs at a fixed time and will not wait. Missing it means a significantly delayed start and almost certainly missing Parrot Island the same evening.
• Be at the Baratang jetty by 4:00 PM to hire a boat. The Parrot Island roosting begins around 5:30 PM and you need 20 to 30 minutes just for the creek crossing. Arriving at the jetty after 4:30 PM is a risk.
• Do not photograph inside the Jarawa Tribal Reserve during the convoy transit. It is prohibited by law and is not a guideline that gets overlooked. All vehicle windows must remain closed inside the reserve.
• Bring a camera with good low-light performance if bird photography is your reason for visiting. The roosting happens in fading light and the distance from the boat means a telephoto lens is necessary, 200mm minimum, 300mm or more is better.
• Combine Parrot Island with the limestone caves and mud volcano to justify the travel time. Doing only Parrot Island means a full day of travel for 30 minutes of bird activity. The caves and mud volcano fill the morning and early afternoon well.
• Consider staying overnight at Baratang rather than returning the same day. The return convoy reaches Port Blair late and the day is very long. An overnight stay makes the experience more manageable and gives you a quieter morning at Baratang before the day-trip crowds arrive.
• Carry your own food and water for the day. Options at Baratang are limited and the schedule is tight enough that stopping to find food in the middle of the day can disrupt your timing for the Parrot Island boat.

Include Parrot Island in Your Andaman Itinerary

Parrot Island is the most distinctive wildlife experience in the Andaman Islands that does not involve going underwater. The logistics of getting to Baratang are real, a long convoy drive, tight timing, and a late return, but the roosting event itself is unlike anything else in the archipelago. For travelers with the time and interest, it is worth building a full Baratang day around.

Our team can help you plan a Baratang Island itinerary that combines the limestone caves, mud volcano, and Parrot Island in a single day, or across two days with an overnight stay, based on your schedule and how you are traveling.