Aucklanders on lookout for rare parrot
June 21, 2007 — Filed in: Conservation
Have you seen this bird? The rare native kaka has been sighted in Waitakere city and the Auckland branch of the Ornithological Society is keen to find out more about its whereabouts and behaviour.
Kaka are often seen around the greater region in winter, sometimes staying around mainland forests and gardens until early spring.
The large, olive brown endemic parrots, listed as an endangered species, breed off-shore on the Little and Great Barrier islands.
Young single males are chased away by adult birds during autumn and migrate to the mainland in search of food and forest territories.
They usually stay until late September and the start of the breeding season, but are not known to breed on the Auckland mainland.
Several birds have also been seen at Torbay on the North Shore.
Society spokeswoman Suzi Phillips says members need help gathering information about the birds’ lives on the mainland.
Kaka are about 45cm from the tip of the beak to the tip of the tail, and weigh up to about 525 grams.
They have a distinctive crimson underwing and rump, golden feathers around their cheeks and a dark crimson collar.
Their bills are long and hooked sharply downwards.
The birds can be quite noisy, especially in flight, making liquid whistling notes and harsh grating calls.
“If you see a kaka, record the date, time, location and take a photograph if you have a digital camera or pix phone handy,” Ms Phillips says.
Take note of what the kaka was doing, what species of tree it was in, its direction of arrival and departure and how long it was at that location.
Email Ms Phillips at aucklandosnz@gmail.com
