Yellow-fronted Parakeet
Also known as:
Yellow-fronted Kakariki, Yellow-crowned Parakeet or Kakariki, Yellow-fronted New Zealand Parakeet
Also known as:
Yellow-fronted Kakariki, Yellow-crowned Parakeet or Kakariki, Yellow-fronted New Zealand Parakeet
DID YOU KNOW?
Another name for this parrot, kakariki, is Maori for ‘small parrot.’
Size:
23 cm (9 in)
Weight:
95 g (3.3 oz)
Subspecies including nominate:
one
Colour Adult:
Both adults in general green; red frontal band reaching to eye; golden crown; red patch on each side of rump; purple/blue outer webs of flight feathers. Beak silver/grey with black tip. Eye orange/red.
Colour Juvenile:
As in adults but with shorter tail. Eye pale brown.
Call:
Calls made in flight are repetitve, quieter and more high-pitched than calls of Red-fronted Parakeet (C. novaezelandiae).
More Information:
Content Sources:
CITES
Wikipedia
BirdLife International
Cornell Lab of Ornithology/Birds of the World
Parrots: A Guide to Parrots of the World, Juniper and Parr, 1998
Parrots: Status Survey and Conservation Plan 2000-2004, Snyder, McGowan, Gilardi and Grajal, 2000.
Parrots of the World, Forshaw and Cooper, 1977. 2010 edition
Parrots of the World, Forshaw, 2006.
Lexicon of Parrots, Thomas Arndt.
Parrots in Aviculture, Low, 1992.
Captive Status:
Common, particularly in Australia.
Longevity:
More than 10 yrs.
Housing:
Walk-in enclosure, minimum length 3 m (9.8 ft).
Diet:
Small seed mix such as: millet, canary, and smaller amounts of oats, buckwheat, safflower and a little hemp; limited sunflower seed; spray millet; green leaves such as: Swiss chard, lettuce, kale, dandelion, sowthistle, chickweed; seeding grasses; rearing food made from: hardboiled egg, wholegrain bread and carrot, all ground to crumbly consistency; fruit may be offered; complete kibble.
Enrichment:
Provide seeding grasses for foraging; also bird-safe, unsprayed flowering, pine, fir, willow and elder branches. Provide shallow water bowls or overhead misters for bathing.
Nest Box Size:
Vertical box 8″ x 8″ x 14″ (20.3 cm x 20.3 cm x 35.5 cm).
Clutch Size:
5-10
Fledging Age:
5-6 weeks
Hatch Weight:
—
Peak Weight:
—
Weaning Weight:
—
World Population:
10,000-30,000 mature individuals, decreasing.
IUCN Red List Status:
Near Threatened
CITES Listing:
Appendix II
Threat Summary:
Is thought to have undergone slow to moderate declines in the past as a result of forest clearance, introduced predators and hybridisation. Although extreme fluctuations in population size make it difficult to determine population trends, expert opinion suggests that for many years the species has been becoming increasingly scarce within mainland forests where there is no predator control. These declines are likely to be long-term, occurring since the introduction of predators and mass deforestation. Overall the population is suspected to have declined by 10–50% within three generations, with a best estimate of 20-29%.
Range:
New Zealand and its offshore islands, and Auckland Islands.
Habitat:
Found up to 1250 m (4100 ft) in lush mountain native forest with Nothofagus and Podocarpus trees.
Wild Diet:
Feeds on shoots, buds and berries; flowers of Senecio, Hymenanthera, Phormium and Coprosma and seeds including Pseudopanax, Leptospermum and thistles, as well as scale insects including Ultracoelostoma assimile and Heliostibes vibratrix caterpillars.
Ecology and Behaviour:
Usually seen in pairs or small groups feeding in the middle or upper storey of the forest as well as larger shrubs. On offshore islands where there are less threats these birds will feed on the ground more frequently.
Clutch and Egg Size:
5-10 broadly elliptical eggs, 23.0 x 19.0 mm (0.9 x 0.7 in).
Breeding Season:
Usually from October-December, but may occur year-round; nest is in hollow limb or tree trunk.
