#cyanoramphus malherbi

[birdstudies]

December 13, 2023 - Malherbe's Parakeet, Kakariki Karaka, or Orange-fronted Parakeet (Cyanoramphus malherbi) Formerly found throughout much of New Zealand, these parrots now remain in only a tiny range on the South Island and have been released on several offshore islands. They feed on invertebrates, including scale insects and caterpillars, buds, flowers, young leaves, berries, and seeds, often foraging high in tall trees but also on or near the ground. Nesting in cavities in tree trunks or branches, females incubate the eggs and brood the chicks while males gather food. Both parents feed the chicks, though females may feed them exclusively for the first few weeks. Pairs may nest several times in a row in years when food is abundant. They are classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN due to continued population declines driven mostly by introduced predators, including rats and stoats, as well as habitat degradation and disease.

[this-is-a-nice-stick]

Malherbe's Parakeet (Cyanoramphus malherbi)

© Simon Gorta

[eye-see-a-bird]

Malherbe's Parakeet (Cyanoramphus malherbi)

© Simon Gorta

[agapornithinae]

Malherbe's parakeet; Māori: kākāriki karaka ~ Cyanoramphus malherbi

The Malherbe’s parakeet is a small parrot endemic to New Zealand, where it is known as the orange-fronted parakeet. In the 1990′s it’s population declined to just around 200 individuals and was therefore deemed critically endangered. It has a prominent orange band across it’s yellow crown that does not start to become apparent until the bird reaches 2-5 weeks old and is therefore mainly absent in juveniles. The rump of the bird is accompanied by orange patches which are considered brighter in male specimens.

Since it’s discovery, the Malherbe’s parakeet’s taxonomy has come under some scrutiny, at first, during the 18th century, being considered it’s own species, then in the 20th century a colour morph of the yellow-fronted parakeet and then since the 2000′s, after undergoing analysis using genetic molecular methods, again considered it’s own separate species.

The malherbe’s parakeet has been observed to feed in mixed flocks, feeding mainly on seeds, beech flowers and, in the spring, invertebrates.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this EcoWatch story:

Up until 25 years ago, New Zealand's orange-fronted parakeet, or kākāriki karaka, was believed to be extinct. Now, it's having one of its best breeding seasons in decades, NPR reported Thursday.

At least 150 kākāriki karaka chicks have been born in the wild this season, New Zealand Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage said in a statement Wednesday, potentially doubling the population of New Zealand's rarest mainland forest bird, which is estimated to be between 100 and 300.

"It is great news that this year there are more than three times the number of nests compared to previous years," Sage said. "This year's epic breeding provides a much-needed boost to the kākāriki karaka population."

The New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC) said it had found 31 nests in Canterbury so far this year, and that the breeding season was not yet over.

The bird, also known as Malherbe's Parakeet, scientific name Cyanoramphus malherbi, is considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The leading threat to the endangered species are the stoats and rats that were introduced to New Zealand, which prey on the birds. The parakeets are also threatened by resource use and habitat loss. They require beech trees old enough to form cavities suitable for nests. But beech trees tend to be harvested before these holes have time to form, meaning the birds are unlikely to settle in managed forests, the IUCN concluded.

[fullfrontalbirds]

Malherbe's Parakeet (Cyanoramphus malherbi)

© Bradley Shields