The three species of
Kākāriki or
New Zealand parakeets are the most common
speciesIn biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....
of
parakeetA parakeet is a term for any one of a large number of unrelated small to medium sized species of parrot, that generally have long tail feathers.- Species :...
in the
genusIn biology, a genus is a taxonomic unit used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The term comes from Latin genus "descent, family, type, gender" , cognate with – genos, "race, stock, kin" ..In addition, genus is a taxonomic rank in the hierarchy In biology, a genus (plural:...
CyanoramphusCyanoramphus is a genus of parakeets native to New Zealand and islands of the southern Pacific Ocean. The New Zealand forms are often referred to as kākāriki. They are small to medium sized parakeets with long tails and predominately green plumage. Most species are forest species, although several...
,
familyIn biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus...
PsittacidaeParrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most warm and tropical regions. The order is subdivded in three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Nestoridae...
. The birds'
MāoriMāori or te reo Māori commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Maori people, where it has is the status of an official language...
name, which is the most commonly used, means "small parrot".
The three species on mainland New Zealand are the
Yellow-crowned ParakeetThe Yellow-crowned Parakeet, Cyanoramphus auriceps, is a species of parakeet endemic to the islands of New Zealand. The species is found across the main three islands of New Zealand, North Island, South Island and Stewart Island/Rakiura, as well as on the subantarctic Auckland Islands...
Cyanoramphus auriceps, the
Red-crowned ParakeetThe Red-fronted Parakeet, Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae, is a small species of parrot from New Zealand. The species was once lumped with several other parrots from New Zealand's outlying islands, New Caledonia and Norfolk Island, but these have now been afforded full species status...
or
Red-fronted Parakeet,
C. novaezelandiae, and the
critically endangeredOrganisms with a conservation status of critically endangered have an extremely high risk of becoming extinct in the wild or completely extinct in the immediate future.-IUCN Category:...
Malherbe's ParakeetThe Malherbe's Parakeet, Cyanoramphus malherbi, is a small parrot endemic to New Zealand. In New Zealand it is commonly known as the Orange-fronted Parakeet, a name it shares with a species from Middle America...
(or Orange-fronted Parakeet
)
C.
The three species of
Kākāriki or
New Zealand parakeets are the most common
speciesIn biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....
of
parakeetA parakeet is a term for any one of a large number of unrelated small to medium sized species of parrot, that generally have long tail feathers.- Species :...
in the
genusIn biology, a genus is a taxonomic unit used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The term comes from Latin genus "descent, family, type, gender" , cognate with – genos, "race, stock, kin" ..In addition, genus is a taxonomic rank in the hierarchy In biology, a genus (plural:...
CyanoramphusCyanoramphus is a genus of parakeets native to New Zealand and islands of the southern Pacific Ocean. The New Zealand forms are often referred to as kākāriki. They are small to medium sized parakeets with long tails and predominately green plumage. Most species are forest species, although several...
,
familyIn biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus...
PsittacidaeParrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most warm and tropical regions. The order is subdivded in three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Nestoridae...
. The birds'
MāoriMāori or te reo Māori commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Maori people, where it has is the status of an official language...
name, which is the most commonly used, means "small parrot".
The three species on mainland New Zealand are the
Yellow-crowned ParakeetThe Yellow-crowned Parakeet, Cyanoramphus auriceps, is a species of parakeet endemic to the islands of New Zealand. The species is found across the main three islands of New Zealand, North Island, South Island and Stewart Island/Rakiura, as well as on the subantarctic Auckland Islands...
Cyanoramphus auriceps, the
Red-crowned ParakeetThe Red-fronted Parakeet, Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae, is a small species of parrot from New Zealand. The species was once lumped with several other parrots from New Zealand's outlying islands, New Caledonia and Norfolk Island, but these have now been afforded full species status...
or
Red-fronted Parakeet,
C. novaezelandiae, and the
critically endangeredOrganisms with a conservation status of critically endangered have an extremely high risk of becoming extinct in the wild or completely extinct in the immediate future.-IUCN Category:...
Malherbe's ParakeetThe Malherbe's Parakeet, Cyanoramphus malherbi, is a small parrot endemic to New Zealand. In New Zealand it is commonly known as the Orange-fronted Parakeet, a name it shares with a species from Middle America...
(or Orange-fronted Parakeet
)
C. malherbi.
Habitat
All above subspecies are native to
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
, and have become endangered as a result of
habitat destructionHabitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms which previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose...
following human settlement and nest predation by
introduced speciesAn introduced, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its native distributional range, which has arrived there by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
of
mammalMammals are a class of vertebrate animals whose females are characterized by the possession of mammary glands while both males and females are characterized by sweat glands, hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex region in the brain.Mammals are divided into three main...
. Scarce on the mainland, kākāriki have survived well on outlying islands, and also through breeding in captivity since they make good
petA pet is an animal kept for companionship and enjoyment or a household animal, as opposed to livestock, laboratory animals, working animals or sport animals, which are kept for economic reasons. The most popular pets are noted for their loyal or playful characteristics, for their attractive...
s. A licence from the
New Zealand Department of ConservationThe Department of Conservation , commonly known by its acronym, "DOC", is the state sector organisation of New Zealand which deals with the conservation of New Zealand’s natural and historic heritage. The Minister of Conservation in New Zealand's Government is the Hon...
is now required to breed them in captivity.
In October 2004, according to the Porirua City News (17 November, page 8), two pairs of Red-crowned Parakeets were seen in the
PoriruaPorirua is a city in the Wellington Region of New Zealand, immediately north of the city of Wellington, with their central business districts 20 km apart. A large proportion of the population commutes to Wellington, so it may be considered a satellite city. It almost completely surrounds...
Scenic Reserve, probably having flown from
Kapiti IslandKapiti Island is a small but conspicuous island about 8 km off the west coast of the lower North Island of New Zealand. It is 10 kilometres long, running southwest/northeast, and roughly 2 kilometres wide, being more or less rectangular in shape, and has an area of 19.65 km² .The island...
.
Mitochondrial DNAMitochondrial DNA is the DNA located in organelles called mitochondria, structures within cells that convert the energy from food into a form that cells can use...
analysis has indicated that the Orange-fronted Parakeet is a separate species and not just a colour variation of the Yellow-crowned Parakeet. The Orange-fronted Parakeet is highly endangered, with less than 200 individuals remaining in the North Canterbury region of the South Island. Furthermore, Chatham Island's Yellow-crowned Parakeet and the red-crowned populations of
New CaledoniaNew Caledonia , is a "sui generis collectivity" of France located in the region of Melanesia in the southwest Pacific. It comprises a main island , the Loyalty Islands, and several smaller islands...
,
Norfolk IslandNorfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. It and two neighbouring islands form one of Australia's external territories....
and the subantarctic islands have been determined to be distinct species (Boon
et al., 2001).
Aviculture
The red-crowned parakeets are common in aviculture and they are relatively easy to breed. They lay about 3 to 5 white eggs in a nesting box. A cinnamon colour variety and a pied variety are available.
External links