| Kākāriki | |
|---|---|
| Red-fronted Parakeet Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Psittaciformes |
| Family: | Psittacidae |
| Genus: | Cyanoramphus |
| Species | |
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The three species of Kākāriki or New Zealand parakeets are the most common species of parakeet in the genus Cyanoramphus, family Psittacidae. The birds' Māori name, which is the most commonly used, means "small parrot".[1] The three species on mainland New Zealand are the Yellow-crowned Parakeet, Cyanoramphus auriceps, the Red-fronted Parakeet or Red-crowned Parakeet, C. novaezelandiae, and the critically endangered Malherbe's Parakeet (or Orange-fronted Parakeet[2]), C. malherbi.
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All above subspecies are native to New Zealand, and have become endangered as a result of habitat destruction following human settlement and nest predation by introduced species of mammal. Scarce on the mainland, kākāriki have survived well on outlying islands, and also through breeding in captivity since they make good pets. A licence from the New Zealand Department of Conservation 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 Porirua Scenic Reserve, probably having flown from Kapiti Island.
Mitochondrial DNA 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 Caledonia, Norfolk Island and the subantarctic islands have been determined to be distinct species (Boon et al., 2001).
The red-crowned parakeets are common in aviculture and they are relatively easy to breed. They will lay 5 to 8 white eggs in a nesting box. A cinnamon colour variety and a pied variety and yellow are available.
