Kākāriki

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Common name for three species of parakeets

title: "Kākāriki" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["cyanoramphus", "birds-of-new-zealand", "parrots-of-oceania", "bird-common-names"] description: "Common name for three species of parakeets" topic_path: "geography/new-zealand" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kākāriki" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Common name for three species of parakeets ::

| auto = yes | image = Kakariki perched on a branch, looking.jpg | image_caption = Red-crowned parakeet (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae) | parent = Cyanoramphus | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = *Cyanoramphus auriceps (Kuhl, 1820)

The three species of kākāriki (also spelled kaakaariki, without macrons), or New Zealand parakeets, are the most common species of parakeets in the genus Cyanoramphus, family Psittaculidae. The most commonly used name kākāriki is Māori in origin meaning "small parrot" (from kākā ‘parrot’ and riki ‘small’);{{Unbulleted list citebundle | {{Cite web|first=John C | last=Moorfield | publisher= Te Muramāra Foundation | title= kākā |work=Te Aka Māori Dictionary|url=https://maoridictionary.co.nz/word/2081}} | {{Cite web|first=John C | last=Moorfield | publisher= Te Muramāra Foundation | title= riki |work=Te Aka Māori Dictionary|url=https://maoridictionary.co.nz/word/13611}} }} Note: As the word is of Māori origin, both the singular and plural forms are simply kākāriki. it has also been used to refer to the colour green because of the birds' predominantly green plumage. The patches of red on the birds' rumps are, according to legend, the blood of the demigod Tāwhaki.

The three species on mainland New Zealand are the yellow-crowned parakeet (Cyanoramphus auriceps), the red-crowned parakeet, or red-fronted parakeet (C. novaezelandiae), and the critically endangered Malherbe's parakeet or orange-fronted parakeet (C. malherbi – not to be confused with Eupsittula canicularis, a popular aviary bird known as the orange-fronted conure, orange-fronted parakeet, or half-moon conure). ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/Kakariki_eating_berries.jpg" caption="Kākāriki eating berries"] ::

Habitat

All above species are endemic to New Zealand, and have become endangered as a result of habitat destruction following human settlement and nest predation by introduced mammals. Scarce on the mainland, kākāriki have survived well on outlying islands. They are easy to breed, but as with all protected native species in New Zealand, a license from the Department of Conservation is required to keep them in captivity.

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.

The identification and detection of sex are very important for the protection of kākāriki. Understanding the sex ratios within populations helps in managing breeding programs and maintaining balanced demographics in captivity, contributing to the preservation of this species. Accurate sex testing plays a pivotal role in effective population management and conservation strategies for kākāriki.

References

References

  1. (Nov 2024). "The colonisation of the colour pink: variation and change in Māori's colour lexicon". Linguistics.
  2. Baigent-Mercer, Dean. (27 January 2018). "How to spot a native: The kakariki". [[The New Zealand Herald]] <!--.
  3. [[John White (ethnographer). White, John]] (1887): ''The Ancient History of the Māori'', Vol. 1: 55. Wellington, Government Printer.
  4. Boon, W.M.; Kearvell, J.; Daugherty, C. H.; Chambers, G. K. (2001): Molecular systematics and conservation of kakariki (''Cyanoramphus'' spp.). ''Science for Conservation'' '''176''' [https://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/science-and-technical/Sfc176.pdf PDF fulltext]
  5. [https://www.dnatestingexperts.com/bird-dna-test-to-verify-genders-and-detect-viruses-by-nucleic-acid-test-method/ Unlocking The Avian Genome: Bird DNA Tests For Sex & Health Monitoring (Nucleic Acid Key)]

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

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