Abstract
WHAT IS A KAKARIKI
New Zealand parakeets of the genus Cyanoramphus are better known by their Maori name of kakarikis, which means "small parrot." A special plea is made for the conservation of the endangered Norfolk Island kakariki.
There are six species in the genus Cyanoramph,us which was named in 1854 by Prince Bonaparte, based on characteristics of the black-fronted parakeet of Tahiti Cyanoramphus zealandicus (Latham). The word Cyanoramphus means "blue-beaked" which refers to the bluish-grey in the bills of all species. Forshaw (1978) gives the following details of the genus: ''The species are small to medium sized, stocky parrots with long, graduated tails. The tarsi (legs) are rather long, and there is a notch in the upper mandible. Males are larger than females, but there are no plumage differences ... '' The main sexing feature I use is the relative size of the bill, which is always much larger in males.
NOTES ON KAKARIKIS
Two species of kakariki are already extinct: the black-fronted parakeet C. zealandicus which inhabit Tahiti in the Society Islands, and a species from Raiatea called the Society parakeet. C. ulietanus (Gmelin) which is known from two specimens collected in 1 771 on Captain Cook's second voyage. Clearly habitat destruction by Polynesians had already caused massive extinctions of birds, and these kakarikis may have been just two more casualties in this process. Four species still exist.
UNICOLOR OR ANTIPODES GREEN PARAKEET Cyanoramphus unicolor lear
This species is the largest kakariki with males at 31 cm. being as long as an eastern rosella Platycercus eximius (Shaw) but with noticeably long legs which relate to their terrestrial lifestyle. Antipodes Island has no trees. One specimen was received by the Duke of Bedford who commented in 1931 that "I discovered certain interesting peculiarities due, no doubt, to her entirely terrestrial existence in her native haunts. Unlike any other psittacine bird I have kept, she cannot climb wire netting with beak or feet-she can only fly up and cling to it without moving. She is also incapable of perching on twigs. Thick perches she can manage, and uses freely, but with rather clumsy action of a domestic pigeon whom Nature intended to negotiate rock ledges only. She is a very lively bird, in fact, the most active and restless parakeet I have ever kept ... '' However, at Mount Bruce the species was seen to climb wire netting and perch on twigs, thus the Duke's bird may have been unusual.
A.G. Caley reported in Low (1980) that unicolors appear to take three years to mature. Although hens would lay when one year old, they would not incubate and usually broke their eggs. Red-fronted kakarikis were used as foster parents for the eggs of first females. I recorded (Phipps 1977) some details of unicolors seen at Mount Bruce. They were housed in 7m x 3m x 3m concrete floored aviaries which were roofed with plastic sheeting. Rocks were placed at one end, and perches were at both ends of the enclosure. Diet was sunflower
seeds, apple, carrot, greens, poultry pellets; and in breeding season canned dog food was made available. This parakeet is found, with a race of redfronted kakariki called Reischek's parrot, on sub-antarctic Antipodes Island where both are considered common.
ORANGE-FRONTED KAKARIKI Cyanoramphus malherbi Souance
This very rare parakeet is confined to the South Island, New Zealand although there are doubtful records from the North Island, Stewart, and Auckland Islands. The only account of this species breeding in captivity comes from Prestwich' s ''Account of the Psittacidae raised in France" in which De Laurier is reported to have bred a pair in 1883. From time to time "orange-fronted" are advertised for sale. These birds are definitely hybrids between the redfronted and yellow-fronted kakarikis, and are not true C. malherbi at all.
Controversy exists over Holyoak's (1974) suggestion that the orangefronted kakariki is a colour morph of the yellow-fronted kakariki, and not a true species at all. However, Sir Charles Fleming noted an historical record of five birds collected together at Owen Junction, near southwest Nelson N.Z. by A.C. O'Connor in 1928. Furthermore, a small population was discovered in forested mountainous country in Lake Sumner Forest Park early in 1981, and two were captured by the Wildlife Service for breeding in captivity. Unfortunately, both died.
Reliable records of the orange-fronted kakariki are all from the same general area, and not from other parts of the range of the yellow-fronted kakariki; and this plumage variant has never occurred in the many yellow-fronted kakarikis in captivity, so I doubt that it is a colour morph.