Thursday, November 22, 2012

Pet birds ? the Kakariki parrot

The Kakariki Parrot (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae) is a remarkable bird that inhabits in dense forests and high mountains of New Zealand and New Caledonia or in the archipelago areas covered with low vegetation of Norfolk Island. Generally it is native to islands of the southern Pacific ocean.

The particularity of this species consists of its red feathers on the forehead, which are shaped like a crown. Almost the entire body plumage is dark green, just the flight feathers being gray, brown and blue and the head has some yellow spots. The beak is rounded and very flexible, the upper and lower jaw being attached by hinges to the skull, which allows them independent movements. The top of the beak is black, the rest beig gray and white.

A Kakariki

?The eyes are large, round, situated on the sides of the head, with a light colored iris. The legs are short, have two toes pointing forward and two pointing back, all equipped with sharp claws used for climbing trees. Like all species of parrots the beak has its role in climbing, as it is used as a third leg for grip and support.

In this species the male looks a little more robust than the female, being about 15 grams heavier, as it has a bigger head and the beak is wider. To determine the sex of a parrot the safest way is the endoscopic method or a DNA analysis. Adult birds can reach a body length of 27 cm, a wing can reach of 13-14 cm, the tail can reach 12-15 cm and the beak can reach a lenght of 1.6 cm.

The Kakariki parrot is very lively and cheerful, loves open spaces, has a lot of energy, is very curious and able to move restless all day long. Because it has a lively temperament it would be very difficult to keep it in captivity, in a small cage, always on the perch, so it is best to be kept in a bird cage with minimum dimensions of 50 cm in lenght, 60 cm in width and a height of 70 cm. A higher bird cage will be even better and will make your parrot happier, so you can purchase one of large dimensions.

A kakariki parrot

?The most important thing is that the bird cage to be kept clean all the time because these parrots like to collect seeds spead everywhere in the bird cage and if there is no level of proper hygiene the risk of disease is exponentially increasing, especially the infection with worms. There should be a large bowl filled with water in the bird cage so that the parrots can have a bath, since that is a great pleasure and also a necesity for them- by pecking and drying the feathers, the plumage is brighter and richer, more beautiful and clean and physical and mental condition is definetly better.

In order to have a beautiful aspect and be physically fit it is very important for the Kakariki parrot to have a diet consisting of fruits, flowers, berries, vegetables, nectar, insects and seeds. Compared with other species of parrots who have other preferences related to food, it is a major consumer of vegetables, fruits and flowers. It needs fresh vegetables: carrot, cabbage, zucchini, salad and its favorite fruit of apples and pears. There should always be fresh water and cuttlefish bones in its bird cage.

The reproductive period at Kakariki parrots is during the spring months. The female lays a total of 4-10 eggs in a nesting box which are sat on for about 21-24 days. After hatching the small chicks appear and they are fed by both parents for a month and a half until they can feed themselves. They reach sexual maturity at the age of 10 months. The nest built in the bird cage must have minimum dimensions of 27 cm long, 27 cm wide and 30 cm high.

Kakariki

?Being so roomy it will prevent overcrowding when the number of chicks is increasing. A layer of peat and then 3 cm of wood shavings should be placed on the floor of the bird cage in order to create proper conditions for its living. They are relatively easy to breed. They are very good pets and very good friends for anyone who love animals in general, but especially pets.

We might say it has became an endangered species as a consequence of their habitat destruction by the human influence and nest predation by different species of mammals. Despite these conditions they have survived well on the islands, and also through breeding in captivity. The Kakariki parrot belongs to the order Psittaciformes, Psittacidae family.

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Source: http://whatafy.com/pet-birds-the-kakariki-parrot.html

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