Cyanoramphus
Five to eight extant species, plus several extinct species.
The number of recognised species within this genus will vary by author. The Forbes' Parakeet
C. forbesi of the Chatham Islands was formerly considered a subspecies of the Yellow-crowned Kakariki
C. auriceps of the New Zealand mainland; and the Orange-fronted Kakariki
C. malherbi was for several decades treated as a colour-morph of that same species. Most variable, however, is the treatment of the Red-crowned Kakariki complex which formerly was considered to be a single widespread species (found from New Caledonia through New Zealand to the subantarctic islands) but has quite recently been split into multiple species.
Six of the eight extant species are depicted in the Zoochat galleries. Most of the photos used for this genus are my own, but this is more of a consequence of the species' distribution and not deliberate!
None of the extinct species are depicted (most are known from only a few museum specimens each).
Extinct species
As well as the four species below, there is also an as-yet-unnamed
Cyanoramphus known from skeletal remains from Campbell Island in the subantarctic, south of New Zealand. Rats reached the island in the ships of the first Europeans (sealers and whalers), and by the time the first naturalists made visits all the land birds had already been eradicated.
Macquarie Parakeet Cyanoramphus erythrotis
Extinct. Formerly treated as a subspecies of the Red-crowned Kakariki
C. novaezelandiae. This species was endemic to Macquarie Island, an Australian territory in the subantarctic. It became extinct following the introduction of rabbits to the island in the 1870s which allowed feral cats to build up to large numbers due to an abundant year-round food source. The last published record of a sighting was in 1880, but it is thought to have become extinct c.1890 based on discussions with sealers at the time. The only known museum specimens are a series of twenty birds collected on a Russian expedition in 1820.
Lord Howe Parakeet Cyanoramphus subflavescens
Extinct. Formerly treated as a subspecies of the Red-crowned Kakariki
C. novaezelandiae. More recently (following the split of the complex) it has also been considered to be a subspecies of the Norfolk Island Parakeet
C. cookii. This species was endemic to Lord Howe Island, an Australian territory in the Tasman Sea (between Australia and New Zealand). Formerly very common on the island, it was hunted by the European settlers as a pest of their crops and became extinct in the late 1800s, with the last record being in 1869. There are only two known museum specimens.
Society Parakeet Cyanoramphus ulietanus
Extinct. This species was found on Raiatea in the Society Islands, in the tropical Pacific Ocean. It is known from only two specimens collected in the 1770s (usually 1773 or 1774 is given as the date, but 1777 has also been proposed).
Black-fronted Parakeet Cyanoramphus zealandicus
Extinct. This species was found on Tahiti in the Society Islands, in the tropical Pacific Ocean. It was discovered in 1769 on Cook's first voyage and was last recorded in 1844. There are only five museum specimens.
Extant species
Yellow-crowned Kakariki Cyanoramphus auriceps
Monotypic.
Also known as Yellow-fronted Kakariki, but the frons in this species is red; it is the crown which is yellow.
Endemic to New Zealand, where it is found on all three main islands and the surrounding coastal islands.
Photo by
@Chlidonias in the wild, New Zealand. There are very few photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries, and outside of New Zealand the populations are hybrids with Red-crowned Kakariki
C. novaezelandiae (although bred to look more like one or the other species), so I have used a photo of a wild bird as a true depiction.
Yellow-crowned kakariki (Cyanoramphus auriceps) - ZooChat
Norfolk Parakeet Cyanoramphus cookii
Monotypic.
Formerly treated as a subspecies of the Red-crowned Kakariki
C. novaezelandiae. Some consider that the extinct Lord Howe Parakeet
C. subflavescens is a subspecies of
C. cookii and use the name "Tasman Parakeet" for the combined species.
Endemic to Norfolk Island in the Tasman Sea (between Australia and New Zealand).
Photo by
@Dannelboyz in the wild, Norfolk Island.
Norfolk Island Parakeet, Cyanoramphus cookii - ZooChat
Forbes' Parakeet Cyanoramphus forbesi
Monotypic.
Formerly treated as a subspecies of the Yellow-crowned Kakariki
C. auriceps.
Also known as the Chatham Islands Yellow-crowned Kakariki.
Endemic to the Chatham Islands, east of New Zealand.
There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.
Reischek's Parakeet Cyanoramphus hochstetteri
Monotypic.
Formerly treated as a subspecies of the Red-crowned Kakariki
C. novaezelandiae. In the early 2000s when the Red-crowned Kakariki subspecies were split to full species, the Macquarie Island and Antipodes Island populations were lumped together (as
C. erythrotis erythrotis and
C. erythrotis hochstetteri respectively) due to the "Macquarie Island" specimen used for the sample being mislabelled (it had actually been collected from Antipodes Island).
Endemic to the Antipodes Islands, in the subantarctic south of New Zealand.
There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.
Orange-fronted Kakariki Cyanoramphus malherbi
Monotypic.
Although originally described (in 1857) as a distinct species and accepted as such for most of its history, in the 1970s it was downgraded to being considered as just a colour-morph of the common Yellow-crowned Kakariki
C. auriceps and - as far as its conservation was concerned - largely ignored. Not until the early 2000s was it established through DNA studies to be a valid species.
Also known as Malherbe's Parakeet (but not in New Zealand).
Endemic to New Zealand. Formerly (in the 1800s) the species was widespread and common throughout the South Island, and also recorded in small numbers in the North Island. Huge numbers were shot to protect orchards and crops. Today it is critically-endangered and found only in four valleys in the Southern Alps mountain range on the South Island, and on a handful of offshore islands to which birds have been introduced for conservation purposes. It occurs sympatrically with Yellow-crowned Kakariki in the wild.
Photo by
@Chlidonias at Auckland Zoo (NZ). Note the colour of the frons which is orange rather than red, and the colour of the crown which is lemon-yellow rather than a deep yellow.
Orange-fronted Kakariki (Cyanoramphus malherbi) - ZooChat
Red-crowned Kakariki Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae
Three subspecies:
chathamensis, cyanurus, novaezelandiae.
Also known as Red-fronted Kakariki (see Yellow-crowned Kakariki).
Endemic to New Zealand. The subspecies
C. n. chathamensis is found in the Chatham Islands, east of New Zealand;
C. n. cyanurus is found in the Kermadec Islands, north of New Zealand; and
C. n. novaezelandiae is found on the three main islands of New Zealand itself and on the surrounding coastal islands.
Formerly several other taxa were included as subspecies (i.e. the New Caledonian, Lord Howe, Norfolk, Macquarie, and Antipodes species).
Only the nominate subspecies
novaezelandiae is pictured in the Zoochat galleries (the other two subspecies are not kept in captivity).
Photo by
@Hix at Pukaha Mt Bruce (NZ). There are some good photos of kakariki in overseas collections in the Zoochat galleries, but I have chosen to use one of the photos from within New Zealand (of wild and captive birds) to provide a true representation of pure-bred birds.
Red-crowned Kakariki - ZooChat
New Caledonian Parakeet Cyanoramphus saisseti
Monotypic.
Formerly treated as a subspecies of the Red-crowned Kakariki
C. novaezelandiae.
Endemic to New Caledonia.
Photo by
@Chlidonias at Noumea Zoo (New Caledonia).
New Caledonian parakeet (Cyanoramphus saissetti) - ZooChat
Antipodes Parakeet Cyanoramphus unicolor
Monotypic.
Endemic to the Antipodes Islands, in the subantarctic south of New Zealand. The species was first described in 1831 (by Edward Lear) from a bird of unknown origin which was being kept at London Zoo. The species wasn't (re-)discovered in the wild until 1886.
Photo by
@Chlidonias at Auckland Zoo (NZ). Note that this species does possess the differently-coloured frons and crown as in all the other species - it is just in shades of green rather than red or yellow.
Antipodes Island parakeet (Cyanoramphus unicolor) - ZooChat
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