Lord Howe Parakeet

Pair Lord Howe goats parakeets, male bird in the foreground ( Illustration by JG Keulemans )

The Lord Howe Ziegensittich ( Cyanoramphus subflavescens ), also known as Lord Howe run Parakeet, is an extinct species of parrot that was endemic to the Lord Howe Island. He has long been regarded as a subspecies of goat parakeet ( Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae ), but was recognized in 2008 as an independent species.

Features

The Lord Howe Ziegensittich reached a size of 27 cm. The plumage was bright medium green with yellow washes that emphasized particularly on the cheeks and on the bottom. The forehead region, the reins and the eye line were characterized differently reddish. The ear covers were indistinct red. With great individual variability Rotzeichnung was usually more pronounced on the head in the males. At the Bürzelseiten were red spots. The outer fringes of the wings were purple blue. The upper tail was green with brown washes. The tail underside was goldoliv. The beak was blue-gray. The iris was dark red. Legs and feet were dark gray. The Lord Howe Ziegensittich saw the parakeet very similar, but was larger. From Norfolk run Parakeet ( Cyanoramphus cookii ) he distinguished himself by the yellowish color of the plumage and the less severe reddening of the face.

Extinction

Tommaso Salvadori described the species in 1891 on the basis of one specimen, in 1853 by an expedition of HMS Herald - was brought - one of the ships that were sent to rescue the ships HMS Erebus and HMS misfortune terror. According to Keith Alfred Hindwood (1904-1971), the extinction was due to overhunting by the farmer who saw the Lord Howe parakeet as a pest in their gardens and on their fields. The final proof comes from the year 1869, when the Australian naturalist Edward Smith Hill ( 1819-1880 ) was able to observe a single pair.

Two specimens of this species are in the Natural History Museum at Tring.