Yellow-crowned Parakeet

Cyanoramphus auriceps - Perruche à tête d'or

Systematics

Order
:
Psittaciformes
Family
:
Psittaculidés
Genus
:
Cyanoramphus
Species
:
auriceps

Descriptor

Kuhl, 1820

Biometrics

Size
: 23 cm
Wingspan
: -
Weight
: -

Geographic range

Distribution

Identification

From afar, the Yellow-crowned Parakeet looks like an entirely green parakeet, brighter and shinier on top than underneath. When perched, the blue of the flight feathers and of the upper coverts is visible, as well as a golden yellow blotch on the forehead above a red band going from the beak to both eyes. It can be mistaken for the Sparrman's Parakeet (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae) which lives in the same environment. With the latter, the yellow is replaced by red, which, above the beak, does not reach the eyes.

Subspecific information monotypic species

Foreign names

Perruche à tête d'or,
Perico maorí cabecigualdo,
periquito-de-coroa-amarela,
Springsittich,
ugráló papagáj,
Geelvoorhoofdkakariki,
Parrocchetto frontegialla,
gulpannad parakit,
Gulkroneparakitt,
kakariki skákavý,
kakariki žlutočelý,
Springparakit,
kruunuviherkaija,
cotorra frontgroga,
modrolotka żółtoczapkowa,
Желтолобый прыгающий попугай,
キガシラアオハシインコ,
黄额鹦鹉,
黃額鸚鵡,

Voice song and cries

play
pause

In flight, its shrill and loud ki ki ki ki sounds.

Habitat

The Yellow-crowned Parakeet is mostly found in the native highland forests, most often above 600 m. When the two species are close to each other, the Sparrman's Parakeet is usually found at lower altitude.

Behaviour character trait

The Yellow-crowned Parakeet is usually encountered in small groups of a few individuals, often in pairs. It descends to the ground much less often than the Sparrman's Parakeet, seeking its food in the canopy. However, in small islands devoid of their land predators, it frequently comes to the ground.

Flight

The flight is direct and swift, with very fast wingbeats.

Dietfeeding habits

The diet is mainly vegetable (fruits, seeds, flowers) with some invertebrates.

Reproduction nesting

This species of birds nests in hollow trees. Eggs are laid from October to December, but additional clutches may occur throughout the year, if the birds have access to an abundant food source. The female lays between 5 and 9 eggs, incubated for around three weeks. The chicks, tended to by the female (while the male provides the food) stay in the nest for nearly six weeks. This species is the Yellow-crowned Parakeet.

Geographic range

Endemic to New Zealand, the Yellow-crowned Parakeet occupies the central part of the North Island and the coastal mountain ranges of the South Island. It is also found on Stewart Island, Auckland Island, and in the Chatham Islands where the subspecies forbesi lives.

Threats - protection

IUCN conservation status

Extinct

Threatened

Least
concern

Extinc
in the Wild

Near
threatened

Not
evaluated

EX EW CR EN VU NT LC NE

The Yellow-crowned Parakeet is classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN and BirdLife International. On the Chatham Islands, the population of the forbesi subspecies has dropped below one hundred birds. In this archipelago, it has suffered from habitat modification, but also from hybridization with the Karrman Parakeet.
On the other hand, as with many endemic species of New Zealand, its populations have been severely reduced by the action of mammalian predators introduced by European colonists, such as cats, stoats, and rats.

Sources of information

IOC World Bird List (v14.1), Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2024-04-18.
The hand guide to the birds of New Zealand, Robertson Hugh et Heather Barrie
Vol. 4 - Handbook of the Birds of the World, Josep del Hoyo-Andrew Elliott-Jordi Sargatal
Parrots, Tony Juniper

Other sources of interest