Antipodes Island Parakeet

Taxobox
name = Antipodes Island Parakeet
status = VU
status_system = iucn3.1
status_ref = [IUCN2006|assessors=BirdLife International|year=2004|id=5997|title=Cyanoramphus unicolor|downloaded=11 May 2006 Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is vulnerable and the criteria used.]
trend = stable


image_width = 250px
image_caption = A parakeet in Wellington Zoo's breeding program
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Psittaciformes
familia = Psittacidae
subfamilia = Platycercinae
tribus = Platycercini
genus = "Cyanoramphus"
species = "C. unicolor"
binomial = "Cyanoramphus unicolor"
binomial_authority = (Lear, 1831)

The Antipodes Island Parakeet ("Cyanoramphus unicolor") is endemic to the Antipodes Islands, one of two parrot species found on the islands. It is the largest species in the genus "Cyanoramphus". The parakeets eat leaves, buds, grass, and tussock stalks, as well as sometimes feeding on seeds, flowers, and will scavenge dead seabirds. The Antipodes Island Parakeet also preys on Grey-backed Storm-petrels. It will enter burrows to kill incubating adults, even dig at the entrance if it is too small.

References

* Greene, T. (1999) "Aspects of the ecology of Antipodes Island Parakeet ( "Cyanoramphus unicolor") and Reischek's Parakeet ( "C. novaezelandiae hochstetten") on Antipodes Island, October - November 1995" "Notornis" 46: 301-310 [http://www.notornis.org.nz/free_issues/Notornis_46-1999/Notornis_46_2_301.pdf#search=%22storm-petrel%22]

External links

* [http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/ebas/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=1475&m=0 BirdLife Species Factsheet.]
*ARKive - [http://www.arkive.org/species/GES/birds/Cyanoramphus_unicolor/ images and movies of the Antipodes island parakeet "(Cyanoramphus unicolor)"]
* [http://www.terranature.org/parakeetAntipodes.htm Antipodes Island parakeet]