Cyanoramphus is a genus of parakeets native to New Zealand and islands of the southern Pacific Ocean. The New Zealand forms are often referred to as k?k?riki. They are small to medium sized parakeets with long tails and predominately green plumage. Most species are forest species, although several of the subantarctic species live in open grassland. The genus formerly had a disjunct distribution, with two species found in the Society Islands and the majority of the genus ranging from New Caledonia to Macquarie Island, but absent from the 4100 km in between. Despite many fossil birds being found in the islands between these two areas being found none of these were of undescribed Cyanoramphus species.^[1]

Like many other species of birds the Cyanoramphus parakeets have suffered from changes brought about by humans. The two species from the Society Islands, the Black-fronted Parakeet and the Society Parakeet, have become extinct as have the subspecies from Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island, as well as an undescribed form from Campbell Island. One species, the Orange-fronted Parakeet, is critically endangered and several other species are endangered or vulnerable. Habitat loss and introduced species are considered responsible for the declines and extinctions.^[2]

Species

The list currently accepted of Cyanoramphus taxa, following Boon et al. (2001)^[3] is:

• Yellow-crowned Parakeet C. auriceps
• Orange-fronted Parakeet C. malherbi
• Red-crowned Parakeet C. novaezelandiae
  • New Zealand Red-crowned Parakeet C. novaezelandiae novaezelandiae
  • Chatham Island Red-crowned Parakeet C. novaezelandiae chathamensis
  • Kermadec Red-crowned Parakeet C. novaezelandiae cyanurus
• Forbes' Parakeet C. forbesi (formerly considered a subspecies of C. auriceps).
• Antipodes Island Parakeet C. unicolor
• Black-fronted Parakeet C. zealandicus?
• Subantarctic Red-crowned Parakeet C. erythrotis
  • Macquarie Island Parakeet C. erythrotis erythrotis (extinct; formerly considered a subspecies of C. novaezelandiae).
  • Reischek's Parakeet C. erythrotis hochstetteri (formerly considered a subspecies of C. novaezelandiae).
• New Caledonian Red-crowned Parakeet C. saisseti (formerly considered a subspecies of C. novaezelandiae).
• Norfolk Island Parakeet C. cooki (formerly considered a subspecies of C. novaezelandiae).
• Society Parakeet C. ulietanus?

The two forms of C. erythrotis may be distinct species: the single specimen believed to be from Macquarie Island (Canterbury Museum specimen AV2099, O'Connor catalog 369) in Boon et al.s analysis has turned out to be from the Antipodes Islands population (hochstetteri) instead.^[4]

References

1. ↑ Steadman D, (2006). Extinction and Biogeography in Tropical Pacific Birds, University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-77142-7
2. ↑ Taylor R (1979) "How the Macquarie Island Parakeet Became Extinct" New Zealand Journal of Ecology 2: 42-45 http://www.newzealandecology.org/nzje/free_issues/NZJEcol2_42.pdf
3. ↑ Boon, W.M.; Kearvell, J.; Daugherty, C. H.; Chambers, G. K. (2001): Molecular systematics and conservation of kakariki (Cyanoramphus spp.). Science for Conservation 176 http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/science-and-technical/sfc176.pdf
4. ↑ Scofield, R. Paul (2005): The supposed Macquarie Island parakeet in the collection of Canterbury Museum. Notornis 52(2): 117-120. PDF fulltext

External links

de:Laufsittiche fr:Cyanoramphus fi:Viherkaijat

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