- Lord Howe Red-crowned Parakeet
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Lord Howe Red-crowned Parakeet Illustration by Keulemans, 1891 Conservation status Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Psittaciformes Family: Psittacidae Subfamily: Platycercinae Tribe: Platycercini Genus: Cyanoramphus Species: C. novaezelandiae Trinomial name Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae subflavescens
Salvadori, 1891[1]Synonyms - Cyanoramphus subflavescens
- Cyanoramphus cookii subflavescens
The Lord Howe Red-crowned Parakeet (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae subflavescens), also known as the Lord Howe Red-fronted Parakeet, was a parrot endemic to Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea, part of New South Wales, Australia. It is an extinct subspecies of the Red-fronted Parakeet.
Contents
Taxonomy
Pending molecular analysis, Christidis & Boles (2008) have suggested on biogeographical grounds that the taxon is likely to be most closely related to the Norfolk Island Green Parrot (Cyanoramphus cookii), as either a subspecies of what they have tentatively called the Tasman Parakeet (Cyanoramphus cookii subflavescens), or possibly a full species (Cyanoramphus subflavescens).[2]
Description
The Lord Howe Red-crowned Parakeet was a medium-sized green parrot with a crimson cap and eye-stripe. Measurements of specimens indicate that it was slightly larger than the nominate subspecies as well as having yellower plumage and less extensive red markings on the head.[3]
Extinction
The parrot was formerly abundant on the island but was persecuted by the early settlers there because of its raids on their crops and gardens. It was last recorded in 1869.[4][5]
There are only two specimens of the Lord Howe Red-crowned Parakeet in existence. They come from the John Gould collection, taken by John MacGillivray in September 1853 on the voyage of HMS Herald, and are held in the British Museum.[6]
Notes
References
- Christidis, Les; & Boles, Walter E. (2008). Systematics and taxonomy of Australian birds. CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne. ISBN 9780643065116
- Higgins, P.J. (ed). (1999). Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 4: Parrots to Dollarbird. Oxford University Press: Melbourne. ISBN 0-19-553071-3
- Hindwood, K.A. (1940). The Birds of Lord Howe Island. Emu 40: 1-86.
- Salvadori, T. (1891). Descriptions of two new species of parrots of the genus Cyanoramphus in the British Museum. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 7(6): 68.
- Schodde, R.; & Mason, I.J. (1997). Aves (Columbidae to Coraciidae). In Houston, W.W.K. & Wells, A. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 37.2. CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne. ISBN 0-643-06456-7
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