Malherbe's Parakeet

Malherbesittich in captivity

The Malherbesittich ( Cyanoramphus malherbi ), also called the Alps Parakeet, is a rare species of parrot from the kind of run parakeets ( Cyanoramphus ). It is found on the South Island of New Zealand and some offshore islands. The specific epithet honors the French naturalist Alfred Malherbe ( 1804-1866 ).

Features

With 20 cm of Malherbesittich is the smallest type of running parakeets. He looks very similar to the Spring parakeet. However, the adult birds have an orange headband (no purple as the Spring parakeet ), which is brighter towards the eyes. The top of the head is pale yellow. Each side of the rump is indicated by an orange stain. The outer webs of secondaries and are violet blue. The beak is gray with a dark gray top. The iris is orange-red, the legs are brown. The wing length in males 95-114 mm. The juvenile birds look similar to the adult birds. For them, the headband is less clear and bright, the tail shorter and the iris light brown.

Distribution and habitat

From the mainland the Malherbesittich of three valleys is known on the South Island of New Zealand that support only small breeding populations. These are the South Branch Hurunui River Valley, the Hawdon River Valley and the Poulter Valley in the region of North Canterbury. One-time sightings are from the northern tip of the Hurunui River Valley (2004-2005), the Andrews Valley (2007 ) and the Eglington Valley (1990-1991 ) during the Southland region. The habitat are apparent beech forests ( Nothofagus fusca Nothofagus solandri and ) at altitudes between 600 and 900 m. For nesting, especially an old tree population with enough natural cavities or cavities are necessary.

Inventory and risk

Previously, the Malherbesittich was native to the forests and subalpine scrubland of the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Due to the disappearance of the ancient forests, habitat destruction by cattle, deer and possums and predation by carnivores like stoats, the species was always rare. In the 1990s, it was based on a population of 500 to 700 copies. This stock was decimated in the summers of 1999 and 2000 by a plague of rats to 100 to 200 copies. In order to preserve the Malherbesittich from extinction, a resettlement project on the rat -free island Chalky Iceland was started from 2005, where the parakeets successfully hatched. 2009, the portfolio on Chalky Iceland to over 150 and the beginning of 2011 was estimated at 100 to 200 individuals. Recently, however, an apparent decline in the Chalky - Iceland - population was observed with a concomitant increase in Spring parakeet population on the island. In April 2012, it was estimated that about 50 adult birds of Malherbesittichs survived on Chalky Iceland. 2007 were relocated to Maud Iceland Malherbesittiche where they also successfully bred. 2009, the portfolio was estimated there on 50 individuals and the beginning of 2011 to 60 to 100 in early 2012 we went but from only from a population of 50 or at least 30 adult birds. Since December 2009, a resettlement project runs on Mayor Iceland ( Tuhua ) off the coast of the North Island. 63 birds were brought to the island that successfully hatched in the spring of 2011 and 2012, so that the stock is currently estimated at about 100 individuals. Another resettlement took place on Blumine Iceland in the Marlborough Sounds, where 2011/2012 51 birds were brought. The mainland population was estimated at 165-300 specimens in early 2011, the island populations of 223 to 363 Precise surveys be prevented, however, since it is very difficult to distinguish from the Malherbesittich Spring parakeet. BirdLife International classifies the Malherbesittich in the category " Endangered" ( critically endangered ).

System

The Malherbesittich described in 1857 by Charles de Souancé as an independent species .. In the following years, however, the species status was controversial. In 1974, the ornithologist David Thomas Holyoak on the assumption that there is a color morph of the Malherbesittich Spring parakeet ( Cyanoramphus auriceps ) could act what in 1986 was confirmed by RH Taylor from crosses between the two taxa. In 2000, the molecular biologist Jonathan C. Kearvell, Wee Ming Boon, Charles H. Daugherty and Geoffrey K. Chambers were able to present the basis of a mitochondrial DNA sequence analysis that there is a unique species Cyanoramphus malherbi. Both taxa are very similar in their morphology, the beak of the male of the Malherbesittichs is however significantly shorter than that of the Spring parakeet.