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Nestoridae
The New Zealand parrot family, Strigopidae,Nestoridae and Strigopidae are described in the same article, Bonaparte, C.L. (1849) ''Conspectus Systematis Ornithologiae''. Therefore, under rules of the ICZN, the first reviser determines priority, which is Bonaparte, C.L. (1850), ''Conspectus Generum Avium'', E.J. Brill, Leyden. consists of at least three genera of parrots – '' Nestor'', '' Strigops'', the fossil '' Nelepsittacus'', and probably the fossil ''Heracles''. The genus ''Nestor'' consists of the kea, kākā, Norfolk kākā and Chatham kākā, while the genus ''Strigops'' contains the iconic kākāpō. All extant species are endemic to New Zealand. The species of the genus ''Nelepsittacus'' were endemics of the main islands, while the two extinct species of the genus ''Nestor'' were found at the nearby oceanic islands such as Chatham Island of New Zealand, and Norfolk Island and adjacent Phillip Island. The Norfolk kaka and the Chatham kaka have become extinct in recent ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nestor (genus)
The genus ''Nestor'' is the type and only extant taxon, extant genus of the parrot family Nestoridae. Together with the kākāpō, and the extinct parrots in the genus ''Nelepsittacus'', they form the parrot superfamily Strigopoidea. The genus ''Nestor'' contains two Extant taxon, extant parrot species from New Zealand and two extinct species from Norfolk Island, Australia and Chatham Island, New Zealand, respectively. All species are large stocky birds with short squarish tails. A defining characteristic of the genus is the tongue, which is tipped with a hair-like fringe. The superficial resemblance of this tongue to that of lorikeets has led some taxonomists to consider the two groups closely related, but DNA evidence shows they are not. Classification All four species in the genus ''Nestor'' are thought to stem from a 'proto-kākā', dwelling in the forests of New Zealand 5 million years ago. The closest living relative of the genus is the kākāpō (''Strigops habroptilus'').d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chatham Kākā
The Chatham kākā or Chatham Island kākā (''Nestor chathamensis'') is an extinct parrot species previously found on the Chatham Islands, New Zealand. The first individuals were thought to belong to the New Zealand kākā (''Nestor meridionalis''), but detailed examination of the subfossil bones showed that they actually belong to a separate endemic species. The species became extinct within the first 150 years of the arrival of the Polynesians around 1500, long before any European settlers. No skins or descriptions are available. Taxonomy The Chatham kākā is assigned to the genus ''Nestor'' in the family Nestoridae, a small group of parrot species native to New Zealand. It is considered to have been more closely related to the kākā (''Nestor meridionalis'') and the extinct Norfolk kākā (''Nestor productus'') than to the kea (''Nestor notabilis''). Ecology The Chatham kākā was a forest dwelling species of about the same size as the North Island subspecies of the kāk ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines (), are birds of the roughly 398 species in 92 genera comprising the order Psittaciformes (), found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three superfamilies: the Psittacoidea ("true" parrots), the Cacatuoidea (cockatoos), and the Strigopoidea (New Zealand parrots). One-third of all parrot species are threatened by extinction, with higher aggregate extinction risk ( IUCN Red List Index) than any other comparable bird group. Parrots have a generally pantropical distribution with several species inhabiting temperate regions in the Southern Hemisphere, as well. The greatest diversity of parrots is in South America and Australasia. Characteristic features of parrots include a strong, curved bill, an upright stance, strong legs, and clawed zygodactyl feet. Many parrots are vividly coloured, and some are multi-coloured. Most parrots exhibit little or no sexual dimorphism in the visual spectrum. They form the most ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kākā
The New Zealand kākā (''Nestor meridionalis'') is a large species of parrot of the family Nestoridae found in New Zealand, New Zealand's native forests. The species is often known by the abbreviated name kākā, although it shares this name with the Holocene extinction, recently extinct Norfolk kākā and Chatham kākā. Two subspecies of New Zealand kākā are recognised. It is endangered and has disappeared from much of its former range, though the re-introduction of North Island kākā at Zealandia (wildlife sanctuary), Zealandia in Wellington has led to an increasing population of the birds across the city. Taxonomy and naming The New Zealand kākā was described by German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1788. There are two subspecies, the North Island kākā, ''Nestor meridionalis septentrionalis'', and the South Island kākā, ''N. m. meridionalis,'' although more recent research has ruled out allopatric subspeciation. The Māori language name ''kākā'' means "parr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kākā
The New Zealand kākā (''Nestor meridionalis'') is a large species of parrot of the family Nestoridae found in New Zealand, New Zealand's native forests. The species is often known by the abbreviated name kākā, although it shares this name with the Holocene extinction, recently extinct Norfolk kākā and Chatham kākā. Two subspecies of New Zealand kākā are recognised. It is endangered and has disappeared from much of its former range, though the re-introduction of North Island kākā at Zealandia (wildlife sanctuary), Zealandia in Wellington has led to an increasing population of the birds across the city. Taxonomy and naming The New Zealand kākā was described by German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1788. There are two subspecies, the North Island kākā, ''Nestor meridionalis septentrionalis'', and the South Island kākā, ''N. m. meridionalis,'' although more recent research has ruled out allopatric subspeciation. The Māori language name ''kākā'' means "parr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Norfolk Kākā
The Norfolk kākā (''Nestor productus'') is an extinct species of large parrot, belonging to the parrot family Nestoridae. The birds were about 38 cm long, with mostly olive-brown upperparts, (reddish-)orange cheeks and throat, straw-coloured breast, thighs, rump and lower abdomen dark orange and a prominent beak. It inhabited the rocks and treetops of Norfolk Island and adjacent Phillip Island. It was a relative of the New Zealand kākā. Taxonomy The Norfolk kākā was first described by the naturalist Johann Reinhold Forster and his son Georg following the discovery of Norfolk Island by James Cook on 10 October 1774. The description was only published in 1844. Around 1790, John Hunter depicted a bird on a kangaroo apple (''Solanum aviculare''). The bird was formally described by John Gould in 1836, from a specimen at the Zoological Society of London. Originally, the individuals from Norfolk Island and Philip Island were considered two separate species, ''Nestor norfo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nelepsittacus
''Nelepsittacus'' is a genus of extinct New Zealand parrots that is closely related to the genus '' Nestor'' (the living kaka and kea). It consists of four species, of which three have been named so far. The species are all known from the early Miocene Saint Bathans Fauna from the Lower Bannockburn Formation in Otago in New Zealand. Features in their skeletons, namely the coracoid, humerus, tibiotarsus, and tarsometatarsus, that they share only with the ''Nestor'' parrots link them to that genus.Leo Joseph, Alicia Toon, Erin E. Schirtzinger, Timothy F. Wright & Richard Schodde. (2012) A revised nomenclature and classification for family-group taxa of parrots (Psittaciformes). Zootaxa 3205: 26–40 Flora from the Saint Bathans fauna fossil beds indicate these parrots were found in a subtropical rainforest habitat. Following the early to mid Miocene, there was a drop in temperature, which led to a loss of local flora and fauna. This loss of native ''Nelepsittacus'' parrots like ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Habitat Loss
Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby reducing biodiversity and species abundance. Habitat destruction is the leading cause of biodiversity loss. Fragmentation and loss of habitat have become one of the most important topics of research in ecology as they are major threats to the survival of endangered species. Activities such as harvesting natural resources, industrial production and urbanization are human contributions to habitat destruction. Pressure from agriculture is the principal human cause. Some others include mining, logging, trawling, and urban sprawl. Habitat destruction is currently considered the primary cause of species extinction worldwide. Environmental factors can contribute to habitat destruction more indirectly. Geological processes, climate change, introdu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Common Brushtail Possum
The common brushtail possum (''Trichosurus vulpecula'', from the Greek for "furry tailed" and the Latin for "little fox", previously in the genus ''Phalangista'') is a nocturnal, semiarboreal marsupial of the family Phalangeridae, native to Australia and naturalised in New Zealand, and the second-largest of the possums. Like most possums, the common brushtail possum is nocturnal. It is mainly a folivore, but has been known to eat small mammals such as rats. In most Australian habitats, eucalyptus leaves are a significant part of the diet, but rarely the sole item eaten. Its tail is prehensile and naked on its lower underside. The four colour variations are silver-grey, brown, black, and gold. It is the Australian marsupial most often seen by city dwellers, as it is one of few that thrive in cities and a wide range of natural and human-modified environments. Around human habitations, common brushtails are inventive and determined foragers with a liking for fruit trees, vegetable g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chatham Island
Chatham Island ( ) (Moriori: ''Rēkohu'', 'Misty Sun'; mi, Wharekauri) is by far the largest island of the Chatham Islands group, in the south Pacific Ocean off the eastern coast of New Zealand's South Island. It is said to be "halfway between the equator and the pole, and right on the International Date Line", though the point (180°, 45°S) in fact lies ca. 173 miles WSW of the island's westernmost point. The island is called ''Rekohu'' ("misty skies") in Moriori, and ''Wharekauri'' in Māori.Government of New Zealand, Dept. of Conservation (1999) Chatham IslandsConservation Management Strategy''. Retrieved 13 July 2012. The island was named after the survey ship HMS ''Chatham'' which was the first European ship to locate the island in 1791. It covers an area of . Chatham Island lies south-east of Cape Turnagain, the nearest point of mainland New Zealand to the island. Geography The geography of the roughly T-shaped island is dominated by three features: two bays a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chatham Kaka
Chatham may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Canada * Chatham Islands (British Columbia) * Chatham Sound, British Columbia * Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi * Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswick, a former provincial electoral district * Chatham Parish, New Brunswick * Roman Catholic Diocese of Chatham, New Brunswick * Chatham Township, Ontario, a former township * Chatham, a community in Chatham-Kent, Ontario England * Chatham, Kent, a town ** Chatham railway station ** Chatham Dockyard, frequently referred to simply as "Chatham" ** Chatham Historic Dockyard, a maritime museum that occupies part of the site of Chatham Dockyard ** Chatham (UK Parliament constituency), existed 1832–1950 * Chatham (ward), in the London Borough of Hackney * Chatham Green, Essex United States * Chatham, Alaska, known after its Chatham Seaplane Base * Chatham, Connecticut, the name for East Hampton, Connecticut up to 1915 * Chatham, Florida, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Norfolk Kaka
Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea, with The Wash to the north-west. The county town is the city of Norwich. With an area of and a population of 859,400, Norfolk is a largely rural county with a population density of 401 per square mile (155 per km2). Of the county's population, 40% live in four major built up areas: Norwich (213,000), Great Yarmouth (63,000), King's Lynn (46,000) and Thetford (25,000). The Broads is a network of rivers and lakes in the east of the county, extending south into Suffolk. The area is protected by the Broads Authority and has similar status to a national park. History The area that was to become Norfolk was settled in pre-Roman times, (there were Palaeolithic settlers as early as 950,000 years ago) with camps along the higher lan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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