Goat Parakeet
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Goat Parakeet ( Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae ) |
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| Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae | ||||||||||||
| ( Sparrman , 1787) |
The goat's parakeet ( Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae ) is a species of parrot that belongs to the genus of parakeets . The species has a decidedly insular range. This ranges from New Caledonia to the islands of the Subantarctic . The focus of its distribution area is New Zealand . However, the species belongs to both the fauna of Australia and the Antarctic fauna, as it occurs on the Norfolk Island, which is part of Australian territory, and the sub-Antarctic Auckland Islands . Earlier, Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island were also included in the range.
The parakeet can adapt well to different habitats . From the forest to the open grasslands to the coast, it inhabits all biotopes of New Zealand and the surrounding islands. Goat Parakeets prefer treetops, but can also be found on the ground in the undergrowth . Several subspecies are threatened with extinction in their habitat , two are already extinct . The causes of the population decline include habitat loss, competition with introduced species , stalking by rats and feral domestic cats, and disease. Goat Parakeets are one of the species that are severely affected by PBFD . This is a highly contagious, incurable, and often fatal viral infection that is particularly common in parrot birds. The causative agent of the PBFD is the Beak and Feather disease virus (BFDV) from the virus genus Circovirus . Circoviruses are very contagious. Both human-cared goat parakeets and the stocks on Norfolk Island are affected in Australia. The IUCN classifies the parakeet with near threatened in an early warning level.
Appearance, dimensions and gender differences
The nominate form of the steadily declining population has a bluish-gray beak and a red hood with a stripe from the base of the beak over the eye and ear. The edge of the hand covers, part of the large wings and the tail feathers are blue. The rest of the plumage is bright green. The males are slightly larger and more powerfully built than the females. The red forehead is not as pronounced in the females and the stripe above the eye is also shorter. The head and the beak are also smaller overall. The weight averages around 60 grams and the body length is 27 to 30 centimeters.
The parakeet's flight consists of fast, flat wing beats with gliding phases in which the wings are spread out and slightly raised. Like many species of the flat- tailed parakeet subfamily, they fan out the control feathers shortly before landing .
behavior
The parakeet lives in pairs or in small groups. It is excellently camouflaged in the treetops and on the ground (unusual for parrots) it scratches for food like a chicken . He uses his feet very often. In contrast to other large parakeets, it is able to climb up and down the wire mesh without the aid of its beak. The wild parakeet feeds on roots and tubers . He also consumes certain plant seeds, the pulp of some fruits as well as berries, flowers, buds and insects. The goat parakeets born on the islands and on the coast even eat seaweed and mussels. The goat's parakeet has a grumbling voice (similar to that of a goat ), especially when in flight and when excited, it emits a persistent, characteristic "moaning" ("kek-kek-kek-kek"), which earned it its German name.
Reproduction and Social Behavior
The main breeding season is between October and December. Goat Parakeets build their nests on the islands because of the few trees in dense vegetation and not only settle in hollow branches, but also in rock holes, caves and crevices. The clutch usually consists of five eggs, but can also contain up to nine eggs. They are laid at intervals of 24-48 hours and incubated for twenty days. Then the young animals are cared for by both parents for about four to six weeks. Eventually the young fly out. Goat Parakeets do not have any social plumage care except for a kind of petting of the partner with the foot. You always keep a certain individual distance. Only mutual beaks can be observed. However, this should not be mistaken for the assumption that goat parakeets are solitary animals.
Subspecies
The following subspecies are currently distinguished:
- Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae novaezelandiae , the nominate form
- Chatham Parakeet ( C. n. Chathamensis ), similar to the nominate form, but slightly larger, plumage on the head emerald green, blue wing area somewhat more extensive. On some islands it is mixed with Cyanoramphus forbesi. Distribution: Chatham Islands
- Kermadec Parakeet ( C. n. Cyanurus ), similar to the nominate form, 29 cm tall, less yellowish in color, wing feathers darker blue, top of tail blue-green. Distribution: Kermadec Islands
- Lord Howe Parakeet ( C. n. Subflavescens ), similar to the nominate form, but 32 cm tall, more yellowish plumage, especially cheeks and underside, red of the front head less extensive. Extinct around 1870. Previous distribution: Lord Howe Island
Some authors, such as the ornithologist Joseph M. Forshaw , who specializes in Australian parrots, also see Cyanoramphus cookii as a subspecies of the goat's parakeet and accordingly designates it as Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae cookii . They are found in Norfolk Island and New Caledonia and they have apparently been isolated from the other populations for a long time. Biochemical studies have shown that the goat parakeets on New Caledonia and Norfolk Island differ greatly from other subspecies. Joseph M. Forshaw points out, however, that the biochemical investigations did not include the two extinct subspecies C. n. Subflavescens and C. n. Erythrotis , which occurred on Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island, respectively. From his point of view, these provided essential information on the relationship between the individual subspecies.
Efforts to increase the population
Attempts are being made to counteract the decline in populations by reintroducing captive-born parakeets and catching rats and cats. Since 1983, for example, there has been a very extensive protection program on Norfolk Island with the aim of protecting the wild population that still exists there. This includes guarding the few remaining nests. Since the clutch usually consists of six to eight eggs, but a far smaller number of young birds fledge and especially the youngest nestlings die in a clutch, they are removed for hand-rearing or females with smaller clutches are added. Both methods have contributed to an increase in the population. Other measures, besides the trapping of rats, which destroy clutches and in some cases also kill the breeding females, focus on driving away both the European Starling and the Pennant Parakeet , which are massive nesting competition for the Goat's Parakeet.
Individual evidence
- ^ Shirihai, p. 282
- ^ Forshaw, p. 544
- ^ Forshaw, p. 545
- ↑ BirdLife Factsheet on the Goat Parakeet , accessed December 21, 2010
- ^ Shirihai, p. 282
- ↑ Boon, WM; Kearvell, J .; Daugherty, CH; Chambers, GK (2001): Molecular systematics and conservation of kakariki ( Cyanoramphus spp.). Science for Conservation 176 PDF Online
- ^ Forshaw, p. 544
- ^ Forshaw, p. 545
- ^ Forshaw, p. 546
- ^ Forshaw, p. 546
literature
- Lysann Haustein: Goat Parakeets - species-appropriate housing and care. Books on Demand, Norderstedt 2008, ISBN 978-3-8370-4240-5 .
- Joseph M. Forshaw : Australian Parrots. 1st German-language edition. Volume 2, Arndt-Verlag, Bretten 2003, ISBN 3-9808245-2-7 .
- Hadoram Shirihai: A Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife - The Birds and Marine Mammals of the Antarctic Continent and Southern Ocean. Alula Press, Degerby 2002, ISBN 951-98947-0-5 .
Web links
- Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae onthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species .
- Videos, photos and sound recordings of Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae in the Internet Bird Collection
- Parrot Lexicon (online version, English)
