About the brightest bird in the bush, these colourful members of the parrot family are now rare on mainland New Zealand. They’re back in Wellington thanks to a groundbreaking relocation programme started in 2010.
Once common on mainland New Zealand, now mainly confined to predator-free islands due to hunting, habitat loss and predation. Like all of New Zealand’s parrots and parakeets, these kākāriki are endemic (i.e. found nowhere else in the world).
This bird is notable for its colourful bright green, bright crimson forehead, crown and a streak through the eye with violet-blue on the wings. In flight they make a loud rapid chatter and may also chatter and babble when feeding.
Kākāriki are usually solitary or found in pairs, although in autumn and winter they may form small flocks. Kākāriki nest in holes in branches and trunks of trees, crevices in cliffs, and in burrows in the ground.