New Zealand is geographically isolated, and originally lacked any mammalian predators, hence parrots evolved to fill habitats from the ground dwelling
kakapo to the alpine dwelling
kea
The kea (; ; ''Nestor notabilis'') is a species of large parrot in the family Nestoridae found in the forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand. About long, it is mostly olive-green with a brilliant orange under its wing ...
as well as a variety of forest species. The arrival of
Māori, then European settlers with their attendant animals,
habitat destruction
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 ...
and even
deliberate targeting, has resulted in their numbers plummeting. Today
one species is on the brink of extinction and
three other species range from Vulnerable to Critically Endangered, all impacted by invasive species. Further parrot species were not introduced by
acclimatisation societies, but occasional releases, both deliberate and accidental, have resulted in self-sustaining populations of some Australian species. New Zealand was identified among the highest priority countries for parrot conservation in the world, due to its parrot diversity, endemism, threats, and having more threatened parrot species than expected.
Endemic species
Apart from the occasional bird blown in from Australia, all the parrot species naturally occurring in New Zealand are found nowhere else (endemic). There are eight surviving parrot species endemic to New Zealand.
The mainland species are the
kea
The kea (; ; ''Nestor notabilis'') is a species of large parrot in the family Nestoridae found in the forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand. About long, it is mostly olive-green with a brilliant orange under its wing ...
(''Nestor notabilis''), the
New Zealand kaka
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
(''Nestor meridionalis''), the
kakapo (''Strigops habroptilus''), and three species of
kakariki: the
yellow-crowned parakeet
The yellow-crowned parakeet (''Cyanoramphus auriceps'') is a species of parakeet endemic to the islands of New Zealand. The species is found across the main three islands of New Zealand, North Island, South Island and Stewart Island/Rakiura, as ...
(''Cyanoramphus auriceps''), the
red-crowned parakeet
The red-crowned parakeet (''Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae''), also known as red-fronted parakeet and by its Māori name of kākāriki,Parr, M., Juniper, T., D'Silva, C., Powell, D., Johnston, D., Franklin, K., & Restall, R. (2010). Parrots: A Guid ...
(''Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae'') and the
orange-fronted parakeet (''Cyanoramphus malherbi'').
The other New Zealand parrot species are the
Chatham kaka (''Nestor chathamensis''), which is extinct, the
Chatham parakeet (''Cyanoramphus forbesi'') from the
Chatham Islands
The Chatham Islands ( ) (Moriori: ''Rēkohu'', 'Misty Sun'; mi, Wharekauri) are an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean about east of New Zealand's South Island. They are administered as part of New Zealand. The archipelago consists of about te ...
, the
Antipodes parakeet
The Antipodes parakeet or Antipodes Island parakeet (''Cyanoramphus unicolor'') is a parrot in the family Psittaculidae that is endemic to the Antipodes Islands of New Zealand. It is one of two parrot species found on the islands, and one of only ...
(''Cyanoramphus unicolor''), and the
Reischek's parakeet (''Cyanoramphus hochstetteri'') endemic to
Antipodes Islands
The Antipodes Islands ( Maōri: Moutere Mahue; "Abandoned island") are inhospitable and uninhabited volcanic islands in subantarctic waters to the south of – and territorially part of – New Zealand. The 21 km2 archipelago lies 860  ...
.
The total kakapo population of 252 individuals (2022) is being carefully managed to save it from extinction. The
orange-fronted parakeet is
Critically Endangered, the
kaka is listed as
Endangered
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and in ...
, and the
kea
The kea (; ; ''Nestor notabilis'') is a species of large parrot in the family Nestoridae found in the forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand. About long, it is mostly olive-green with a brilliant orange under its wing ...
is
Vulnerable.
Extinct species
An unidentified parakeet lived on
Campbell Island, but was extinct by 1840, so had disappeared before it could be scientifically described. The
Chatham Island kaka (''Nestor'' ''chathamensis'') was extinct by 1550–1700, so is only described from sub-fossil remains,
and the
Norfolk Island kaka (''Nestor productus'') was extinct by 1851.
[.]
Introduced species
Various Australian species have either been deliberately introduced or accidentally released. But only two appear to have significant self-sustaining populations - the
eastern rosella
The eastern rosella (''Platycercus eximius'') is a rosella native to southeastern Australia and Tasmania.
It has been introduced to New Zealand where feral populations are found in the North Island (notably in the northern half of the island, Ta ...
(''Platycercus eximius'') and the
sulphur-crested cockatoo
The sulphur-crested cockatoo (''Cacatua galerita'') is a relatively large white cockatoo found in wooded habitats in Australia, New Guinea, and some of the islands of Indonesia. They can be locally very numerous, leading to them sometimes being ...
(''Cacatua galerita'').
Crimson rosella
The crimson rosella (''Platycercus elegans'') is a parrot native to eastern and south eastern Australia which has been introduced to New Zealand and Norfolk Island. It is commonly found in, but not restricted to, mountain forests and gardens. The ...
s (''Platycercus elegans'') and
Galah
The galah (; ''Eolophus roseicapilla''), also known as the pink and grey cockatoo or rose-breasted cockatoo, is the only species within genus ''Eolophus'' of the cockatoo family. Found throughout Australia, it is among the most common of the c ...
s (''Eolophus roseicapilla'') may be present in small numbers.
The eastern rosella can be found in the northern half of the
North Island (i.e. north of
Taupo), the
Taranaki
Taranaki is a region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano of Mount Taranaki, also known as Mount Egmont.
The main centre is the city of New Plymouth. The New Plymouth D ...
Region north of Mount Taranaki, the
Wellington Region
Greater Wellington, also known as the Wellington Region (Māori: ''Te Upoko o te Ika''), is a non-unitary region of New Zealand that occupies the southernmost part of the North Island. The region covers an area of , and has a population of
T ...
, and in the hills around
Dunedin
Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...
. It is reported that an attempt to import eastern rosellas about 1910 was refused by
customs, so the birds were released at sea off the
Otago Heads resulting in the present Dunedin population. The
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...
population dates from about 1920 and the Wellington one from about 1960.
[''Te Ara: The encyclopedia of New Zealand'' online](_blank)
/ref> As early as 1928 the rosella was reported as being a pest around Auckland.
The sulphur-crested cockatoo population appears to be result of escapes of captive birds which have built to a total population of fewer than 1000 birds. Feral birds were first seen in the Waitākere Ranges
The Waitākere Ranges is a mountain range in New Zealand. Located in West Auckland between metropolitan Auckland and the Tasman Sea, the ranges and its foothills and coasts comprise some of public and private land. The area, traditionally kno ...
in the early 1900s. There are now populations in the Auckland Region, western Waikato
Waikato () is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsul ...
, the Turakina– Rangitikei region, Wellington Region
Greater Wellington, also known as the Wellington Region (Māori: ''Te Upoko o te Ika''), is a non-unitary region of New Zealand that occupies the southernmost part of the North Island. The region covers an area of , and has a population of
T ...
and Banks Peninsula.
Around 1992 an attempt was made by a breeder to establish a wild population of rainbow lorikeet
The rainbow lorikeet (''Trichoglossus moluccanus'') is a species of parrot found in Australia. It is common along the eastern seaboard, from northern Queensland to South Australia. Its habitat is rainforest, coastal bush and woodland areas. S ...
s around Auckland. The species was considered a competitor to native species and a threat to horticulture. So in 1999 it was declared an 'unwanted organism' under the Biosecurity Act, and a plan to remove the estimated 200 feral birds was made. Live trapping of the birds was carried out. The population appears under control, and there is an ongoing program to ensure they do not establish a self-sustaining wild population.
References
{{reflist, 30em