Red-crowned Parakeet

The Red-crowned Parakeet, known in Maori as kakariki, is a small, slender parrot clothed almost entirely in bright grass-green plumage, set off by a vivid crimson patch on the crown and forehead and a red stripe running back through the eye. A long, pointed tail and a quick, direct flight punctuated by sharp chattering calls make it an unmistakable, if now scarce, sight in New Zealand's native forests.

Once widespread across the mainland, the species suffered heavily from introduced predators such as rats, stoats, and cats, and today its strongholds are largely predator-free offshore islands and a scattering of well-protected forest reserves, where conservation efforts continue to support translocated and reintroduced populations.

Key field marks

• Bright green overall plumage with a long, pointed tail
• Crimson-red crown patch extending from the bill to just behind the eye
• Red stripe running through the eye
• Small red patches sometimes visible on the flanks and rump

Similar species

• Yellow-crowned Parakeet is very similar in shape and green coloring but has a narrower, mostly yellow crown patch with a smaller red spot above the bill, rather than the broad crimson crown of the Red-crowned Parakeet.
• Antipodes Parakeet and other island endemics are larger, stockier, and restricted to remote subantarctic islands well outside the Red-crowned Parakeet's range.

Habitat

Inhabits native forest, forest edge, and low scrubland, foraging both in the canopy and on the ground.

Range

Endemic to New Zealand; now most abundant on predator-free offshore islands such as Little Barrier, Kapiti, and various Hauraki Gulf islands, with smaller and more localized mainland populations, some maintained through active reintroduction.

Migration

Non-migratory and largely sedentary, though it can be locally nomadic in response to seasonal food availability.

Behavior

Active and often approachable in predator-free areas, foraging in pairs or small flocks both in trees and on the ground, where it readily investigates leaf litter for food.

Voice

A rapid, chattering "ki-ki-ki-ki" call given in flight, along with softer contact notes between foraging birds.

Feeding

Feeds on seeds, fruit, buds, flowers, and invertebrates, foraging opportunistically both in the forest canopy and on the ground.

Nesting

Nests in cavities in mature trees, laying 5-9 white eggs directly on a bed of wood dust; only the female incubates while the male provisions her with food.