Kākā
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 A pair of Kākā at play
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| Nestor meridionalis (Gmelin, 1788) |
The Kākā, Nestor meridionalis, is a parrot endemic to the forests of New Zealand.
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[edit] Taxonomy and naming
The Kākā was described by German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1788. There are two subspecies, the North Island Kākā, Nestor meridionalis septentrionalis, and the South Island Kākā, N. m. meridionalis. The name Kākā is a Māori language word meaning "parrot".
[edit] Classification
The genus Nestor contains three species: The Kākā (Nestor meridionalis), the Kea (N. notabilis), and the extinct Norfolk Island Kākā (N. productus). All three are thought to stem from a 'proto-Kākā', dwelling in the forests of New Zealand 15 million years ago.[1] The closest relative is most likely the Kākāpō (Strigops habroptilus).[2]
A 2005 sex chromosome spindlin DNA sequence study suggests that the Nestor species, and the Kākāpō in its own genus, comprise an ancient group that split off from all other Psittacidae before their radiation,[3] but fossil evidence seems to contradict this[citation needed]; given the violent geological history of New Zealand (see, for example, Taupo Volcanic Zone), other explanations such as episodes of genetic drift seem better supported by evidence.
[edit] Description
The Kākā is a medium sized parrot, around cm (18 in) in length and weighing about 550 g, and is closely related to the Kea, but has darker plumage and is more arboreal. The forehead and crown are a greyish-white in colour and greyish brown nape. The neck and abdomen are more reddish, while the wings are more brownish. Both sub-species have a strongly patterned brown/green/grey plumage with orange and scarlet flashes under the wings; color variants which show red to yellow coloration especially on the breast are sometimes found.
The calls include a harsh ka-aa and a whistling u-wiia.[4]
[edit] Distribution and habitat
The Kākā lives in lowland and mid-altitude native forest. Its strongholds are currently the offshore reserves of Kapiti Island, Codfish Island and Hauturu/Little Barrier Island.
[edit] Behaviour
[edit] Diet
The Kākā feeds on fruits, berries, seeds, flowers, buds, nectar and invertebrates. It uses its strong beak to shred the cones of the kauri tree to obtain the seeds.[5] It has a brush tongue with which it feeds on nectar, and it uses its strong beak to dig out the grubs of the longhorn beetle.
[edit] Nesting
Kākā make their nests in hollow trees, laying clutches of 2 to 4 eggs in late winter. Both parents assist in feeding the chicks.
[edit] Conservation status
The Kākā is considered vulnerable (CITES II). It has greatly declined, in part from habitat loss, in part because of introduced wasps, possums and bees, which compete with the Kākā for honeydew, which is excreted by scale insects. Research has shown that this honeydew is very important for breeding birds, especially those breeding in southern beech forests. The difficult nature of controlling the wasps makes the Kākā's future very uncertain. A closely related species, Nestor productus, the Norfolk Island Kaka, became extinct in 1851.
[edit] References
- ^ Fleming, C.A. (1975) The geological history of New Zealand and its biota. In G. Kuschel (Ed.): Biogeography and ecology in New Zealand. The Hague: Dr. W. Junk
- ^ Juniper, T., Parr, M. (1998) Parrots: A guide to parrots of the world. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press (ISBN 0-300-07453-0)
- ^ de Kloet, R.S.; de Kloet, S.R. (2005). The evolution of the spindlin gene in birds: sequence analysis of an intron of the spindlin W and Z gene reveals four major divisions of the Psittaciformes. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 36: 706–721.
- ^ Falla RA, Sibson RB & Turbot EG (1966) A Field guide to the birds of New Zealand. Collins, London (ISBN 0-00-212022-4)
- ^ Agathis australis, Kauri. Bushmans Friend. Retrieved on 2007-08-27.
- BirdLife International (2005). Nestor meridionalis. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes a range map and justification for why this species is endangered.
[edit] External links
