martinh@gp.govt.nz (Martin D. Hunt) (06/07/90)
Someone was asking about the New Zealand Kakariki recently. Unfortunately, the original message has been deleted off our system, so I don't know who was asking. Anyway, since no one else has followed up, I will attempt to answer from my limited knowledge. Kakariki is the maori name for the parakeet. It comes in two main varieties - the yellow-crowned and the red-crowned, and is predominately green. Other subspecies of these are found on off shore islands, such as the Chathams and Auckland Islands. It feeds mainly on berries and seeds. Not very rare, especially on nearby island sanctuaries. The Kakapo is the one I think the writer of the original message is really interested in. It is a large, flightless parrot, and extremely rare. The problem is that there just aren't enough females to go round. A major rescue project has been launched. They feed mainly on tussocks. In the mating season they have an interesting booming call. Other parrots found in New Zealand are the kaka, which is a large bush parrot, and a similar bird called the kea, which is the world's only mountain parrot. The kea is also a bit of a clown (favourite diet includes windscreen wipers and tourists gumboots and shoelaces). I hope this goes someway towards giving you the information you want. Let me know if I can be of further assistance, and I will try to get the information you want. My information comes from what I have heard and from several recent reference books which I own on NZ birds. -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Martin D. Hunt Government Printing Office USEnet address : martinh@gp.govt.nz Wellington PSI address : PSI%0530147000028::martinh New Zealand Phone : +64 4 4965790 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------