survives only on mangere island

Size
Length: 23-25 cm, Weight: 60-80 g
Lifespan
8-10 years
Diet
Herbivorous. Feeds on leaves, seeds, berries, flowers, and buds. Climbs through forest canopy using bill and feet. Also takes insects and larvae occasionally.
Habitat
Native forest, scrubland, and coastal vegetation. Prefers dense understorey with mature trees. Found only on Mangere Island in the Chatham group.
Range
Endemic to the Chatham Islands, New Zealand. Found only on Mangere Island. Formerly on main Chatham Island and Pitt Island. Extirpated by introduced predators.
Endemism
Endemic
Main Threats
Restricted range increases extinction risk from catastrophic events. Potential hybridisation with yellow-crowned parakeets. Disease. Climate change affecting forest composition.
Population
Global population estimated at 250-300 birds, restricted entirely to Mangere Island in the Chatham Islands. Classified as Nationally Critical by DOC, one of the rarest parakeets.
Conservation Status
Nationally Critical
Human Risk
harmless
Handling Note
protected native parakeet, do not disturb
Conservation Note
Endemic parakeet restricted to Mangere and Little Mangere Islands in the Chatham Islands.
Assessment
NZTCS Birds (2021)
Te Ao Māori
Kākāriki is the Māori name for all parakeets. It means "green". Forbes' parakeet is named for Henry Forbes, a nineteenth-century naturalist who collected specimens in the Chatham Islands. For the Moriori people of Rēkohu, the kākāriki was a bird of the forest canopy. Its bright green feathers were used in traditional adornment. This practice connected the bird to human identity and status. The parakeet remains a symbol of the Chatham Islands' unique ecological heritage. Its survival is tied to the health of the remaining native forest.
Forbes' parakeet lives on one small island and nowhere else. It is found only on Mangere Island in the Chatham group. A few hundred birds. A few hundred hectares. That is the entire species. The plumage is bright green with a yellow crown and a red band across the forehead. The face is yellow-green. The rump is green. The underwings are blue. It looks like a typical kākāriki. The differences are subtle. A narrower crown band. A yellower face. The bird does not care about the differences. It just needs to survive. Feeding involves leaves, seeds, berries, and flowers. The parakeet climbs through the canopy, using its bill and feet. It is acrobatic, hanging upside down and reaching for the next branch. It is always moving. Occasionally it takes insects and larvae, but plant matter dominates the diet. Breeding takes place in tree hollows. The nest is a cavity lined with wood dust. Three to five eggs are laid. The female incubates alone. The male brings food. The chicks fledge in about six weeks. Then they join the flock. The call is a rapid, chattering "ki-ki-ki," often given in flight. Flocks call constantly as they move through the canopy. On Mangere, the sound fills the forest. It is a noisy presence in the quiet trees. Forbes' parakeet is closely related to the yellow-crowned parakeet of the mainland. They hybridise when brought together. On Mangere, they are pure. That is a concern. If a yellow-crowned parakeet reaches the island, the species could disappear through hybridisation. Genetic integrity is fragile. The population crashed in the twentieth century. Rats ate the eggs. Cats ate the adults. The birds vanished from the main Chatham Island. Only Mangere remained. Conservationists removed the rats. The parakeets recovered. Slowly. The island is now predator-free. The parakeets are increasing. They still number only a few hundred. One fire, one storm, or one introduced predator could wipe them out. The margin for error is non-existent. Disease also poses a risk. Climate change affects forest composition, altering the availability of food sources. The name kākāriki means green. It is the general name for all parakeets in Māori. Forbes' parakeet is a kākāriki. It is also a ghost. A bird that almost vanished and has not given up. The global population is estimated at 250 to 300 birds. It is restricted entirely to Mangere Island in the Chatham Islands. The Department of Conservation classifies the species as Nationally Critical. It is one of the rarest parakeets in the world. The numbers are low. The pressure is high. The bird carries on.