Natives
Antipodes Island Parakeet
Cyanoramphus unicolor (also known as Kakariki)
Distribution: |
Antipodes Island group, southwest of New Zealand |
Habitat: |
Dense tussock grassland, sedge areas |
Diet: |
Leaves, seeds, berries, flowers, carrion |
Breeding: |
November - January |
Nest: |
A tunnel dug under tussock usually |
Eggs: |
Up to five eggs incubated for 28 days |
Chicks: |
Fledge at 5-6 weeks and are fed for another week by their parents |
Predators: |
None at present |
Conservation status: |
Vulnerable, as the islands are small and the population is at risk if predators or disease reach them and protected. |
General: |
The largest of the native kakariki, this is the only New Zealand parakeet with an entirely green head. It has yellow-green on its chest to under-tail, blue on flight feather edges. |