Parakeets, Kākāriki (Red-Crowned and Yellow-Crowned)

Sid Mosdell from New Zealand, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Parakeets, Kākāriki (Red-Crowned and Yellow-Crowned)

Three types of Parakeets can be found on mainland New Zealand, the first two in the north island

• Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae or Red-Crowned Parakeet,
• Cyanoramphus auriceps or Yellow-Crowned Parakeet,
• Cyanoramphus malherbi Orange-Fronted Parakeet (restricted to four beech forest valleys in the South Island and considered critically endangered).

Along with other regionally used names all three species have been given the Māori name Kākāriki, meaning green, due to their brilliant green colour.

There are three sub-species of Red-Crowned Parakeet in New Zealand;

• One is restricted to the Kermadec Islands,
• Another is restricted to the Chatham Islands,
• The third can be found from the Three Kings Islands to the Auckland Islands, including mainland New Zealand.

Further sub-species can be found on Norfolk Island and in New Caledonia and two other sub-species, now extinct, were on Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island.

The differences between the sub-species are minor.

A slightly larger sub-species of the Yellow-Crowned Parakeet occurs on the Chatham Island, however few birds remain.

Parakeets are now extinct in the Tangihua ranges

Red-crowned parakeets, were once common in the district. In the late 1800s, this species sometimes occurred in large flocks with other species of parakeets, causing considerable damage to orchards.

Red-Crowned Parakeets are now largely restricted to pest-free offshore and outlying islands such as the Poor Knights Islands and islands in the Hauraki Gulf.

Yellow-Crowned Parakeets are still present in most large native forest areas on the mainland and can be found on sanctuary islands like Little Barrier and the Hen and Chickens.

Physical Description

Similar species:

Where parakeet distribution overlaps identification can be difficult. A good view of crown colouration is the only reliable feature.

The males and females of both Red-Crowned Parakeets and Yellow-Crowned Parakeets look similar with the female being only slightly smaller than the male.

Juvenile Parakeets look similar to the adults, but with a shorter tail and duller colouring. The brilliant, shinning colours the Parakeets are famous for dont appear until they are fully developed adults.

Size and Shape

Red-Crowned Parakeets are medium sized birds, generally 265mm long from tip to tail and weighing about 75g. They are larger than Yellow-Crowned Parakeets, that are 240mm in length and weigh only 45g.

Both species have long pointed tails and short, thick beaks.

Colour

As the names Kākāriki suggests, both Red-Crowned Parakeets and Yellow-Crowned Parakeets are a bright emerald green.

Red-Crowned Parakeets have an obvious red forehead and crown with patches of red behind the eyes and on each flank at the base of the tail. The beauty of these birds is further enhanced by a rich cyan blue on the edge of the wings.

Yellow-Crowned Parakeets are a more yellowish-green with a yellow forehead and crown. They have a crimson band over the top of their bill, blue beneath the wings and another dash of crimson on the side of their rump.

Call

Red-Crowned Parakeets and Yellow-Crowned Parakeets make the characteristic parakeet chatter, however the Red-Crowned Parakeet has a lower pitched call than that of the Yellow-Crowned Parakeet.
Both species also make a variety of softer tur-tur-tur noises.

Behaviour

Red-Crowned Parakeets and Yellow-Crowned Parakeets are usually seen alone or in pairs, but they will form large flocks when they are all after the same source of food or water. They are not known to be territorial. In the late 1800s they would sometimes band together in large flocks with other species of parakeets. These flocks could cause considerable damage to orchards in the area by stripping the trees of buds and flowers.

Red-Crowned Parakeets spend as much time on the forest floor as they do in the canopy, foraging and sometimes even nesting on the ground in hollows.

Yellow-crowned parakeets spend most of their time high in trees eating seeds, buds and invertebrates. They occasionally come down to the forest floor to eat seeds and to bathe but this generally only occurs in predator free areas. Because they mostly forage high in canopies they are most often detected by their calls, particularly their distinctive parakeet chatter.

When in flight, both of the Parakeets will beat their rings rapidly and often make a high-pitched chattering as they fly through the canopy. While their flight can appear erratic they are capable of flying great distances even crossing open ocean for over 100km.

Early observers of the Yellow-Crowned Parakeet found that in the North Island they often followed flocks of Whiteheads, while in the South Island they were observed following flocks of Yellowheads.

Feeding

Red-Crowned Parakeets and Yellow-Crowned Parakeets are omnivorous, but eat mainly seeds, flowers and fruit from numerous plant species. They will feed on invertebrates, particularly scale insects, more frequently in spring before breeding. Both Parakeets will forage for food on the ground or within low shrubby vegetation, making them vulnerable to ground-hunting predators

Breeding

Red-Crowned Parakeets and Yellow-Crowned Parakeets are mostly summer breeders but can breed at all times throughout the year.

Both Parakeets are cavity-nesters, preferring hollows in trees and branches, but Red-Crowned Parakeets will also use holes in the ground, in cliff faces, talus slopes and under dense vegetation.

The female will prepare the nest that is usually simply lined with wood, feathers, grasses and other plant material. If a good nest site is found couples will often use it over and over again.

Once the nest is prepared she will lay between 2 and 9 25mm long white eggs at a time. It can take her several days to lay a full clutch of eggs after which she will incubate the eggs for approximately 23 days before the first egg starts to hatch. Eggs can hatch at different types resulting in a large variation in chick age and size within one brood.

The female will continue to take sole care of the chicks until they are 10 to 14 days old. During this time the female will remain on the nest with her male partner bringing in food for her and the chicks. After this period the male and female will take turns feeding the chicks until they fledge and gain independence.

The nesting period can last between 32 and 49 days depending on how long the eggs take to hatch. The chicks usually all fledge and leave the nest at about the same time so the last chicks to hatch end up fledging at an earlier age than the first chick to hatch. After fledging and leaving the nest the parents will continue to feed the chicks for another week until they become capable of fending for themselves.

Red-Crowned Parakeets and Yellow-Crowned Parakeets will attempt more than one brood in a year if the first nest fails or an abundance of food is available. When conditions are good they are able to reproduce quickly, resulting in a rapid increase in population.

Occasionally, the two types of Parakeet will inter-breed.

Distribution and Habitat

The distribution of the Red-Crowned Parakeet and the Yellow-Crowned Parakeet often overlap with each other and it can be easy to confuse the two, especially when seen at a distance.

The sub-species of Red-Crowned Parakeet that used to inhabit Northlands Tangihua Forest could be found from the Three Kings Islands, all through New Zealand and as far south as the Auckland Island, 465km south of the South Island.

Red-Crowned Parakeets can occupy a variety of habitats, ranging from tall forests to shrublands and open space. They are often found at the forest edges and generally at lower altitudes than the Yellow-Crowned Parakeet.

Yellow-Crowned Parakeets prefer mixed podocarp forests. They often favour tall unbroken forest and scrub, leaving the open areas to the Red-Crowned Parakeet.

Threats and Conservation Plan

Red-Crowned Parakeets and Yellow-Crowned Parakeets are now extinct in the Tangihua Forest, mainly due to predation by introduced pests such as rats , mustelids and feral cats . The Red-Crowned Parakeets habit of feeding and nesting on the ground has made them particularly vulnerable to these types of predators.

Both Parakeets are also vulnerable to loss of habitat, competition from introduced parakeets, such as the Rosella, diseases introduced by the pet industry and interbreeding with non-native parakeets.

The long term solution of reintroducing parakeets to the Tangihua Forest involves the removal of introduced predators and the removal, or at least reduction of, introduced parakeets. If this can be achieved parakeets may even reintroduce themselves, moving into the Tangihua Forest from other well-established populations on island off Northlands coast.

In June 2017, as part of Project Island Song, 40 Kākāriki were caught on Hauturu Island (Little Barrier) and transferred to Moturua Island in the Bay of Islands. A major project had previously been undertaken on the island to eradicate all pests and predators. The latest counts show that the birds are doing well, providing hope for possibly re-introduction to other areas.

The Tangihua forest block is managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC). They currently do not have the funding available to put in place the strategies needed to eradicate pests and protect the forest.

The Tangihua Lions Lodge has set up the following programs that you can be a part of;

Tangihua Community Pest Control Area : Targeting pests on farm land with local farmers and the Northland Regional Council

Conservation on DOC Land : Tangihua Lions Lodge Conservation and Education project

Conservation Education : Creating a high quality, accessible educational center surrounded by a fully functional ecosystem for schools and any one else who may choose to use the facility.

Volunteers Options : How you can help protect our native bush.