Macquarie Parakeet (Cyanoramphus erythrotis)
As you gaze out over the tussock grasslands of Macquarie Island, a small, isolated land mass halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica, you catch a glimpse of bright red and green feathers flashing by. What was that? You catch another look and see a small parrot with a bright red forehead hopping along the ground. This is the Macquarie Parakeet (Cyanoramphus erythrotis), one of the most beautiful birds found only on this remote island.
Measuring about 12 inches (30 cm) long, this parakeet stands out with its verdant green plumage accented with vibrant red and blue markings around its head and wings. It feeds mostly on seeds and fruit, using its curved grey beak to crack open tough morsels. This small parrot is quite social, gathering in flocks that wheel and glide swiftly between the island’s scrubs and trees.
“The sight of a flock of Macquarie Parakeets, with their bright red heads illuminated by the evening light, is an unforgettable experience,” says a local conservationist.
Unfortunately, the Macquarie Parakeet is Critically Endangered, with recent surveys finding less than 50 remaining in the wild. Much of its tussock grassland habitat has been lost to climate change, and invasive predators like rats and cats threaten its existence. Urgent conservation action is needed to ensure this island jewel does not blink out forever.
As an endemic species found nowhere else on Earth, the parakeet has also become a cultural icon for the island. It features prominently on local postage stamps and in logos for Macquarie Island conservation groups. But will future generations still be able to see this rare parrot in the wild? Read on to learn more about this fascinating and imperiled species.
History and Taxonomy
The Macquarie Parakeet entered the scientific literature in 1845 when it was first described by the French naturalist René Primevère Lesson, who named it Platycercus erythrotis. He placed it in the genus Platycercus along with many other Australian and Tasmania parakeets known at the time. The name erythrotis refers to the distinctive red patch (“erythros”) around its ears (“otis” meaning ear).
For over 50 years it kept this scientific name until 1897 when the English zoologist Walter Rothschild reclassified it into the genus Cyanoramphus, where it still sits today. This genus consists of all the New Zealand and Antarctic parakeets. However, some disagreement continued over whether the Macquarie Parakeet was its own unique species or a subspecies of the similar looking Red-crowned Parakeet (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae) found in New Zealand.
In 2000, after analyzing blood samples from both birds, scientists confirmed that the genetics of the Macquarie Parakeet were distinct enough to consider it as its own separate species, Cyanoramphus erythrotis. So after 155 years, the taxonomy of this beautiful little parrot finally became settled. Today, the Macquarie Parakeet remains the only endemic parrot on Macquarie Island.
Physical Appearance
The Macquarie Parakeet is a colorful, medium-sized parrot measuring about 12 inches (30 cm) from the tip of its tail to the end of its beak. Its main body feathers are a bright grassy green, while the forehead and the region around the eyes (lores) is a vivid cherry red. Extending around the back of its neck is a broad yellow and red band.
The outer wings have deep blue feathers, also seen on the tail. The tail is fairly long for a parakeet at 5-6 inches (13-15 cm). Legs and feet are grey in color. The curved beak is also grey, suited for cracking open seeds and nuts.
Females tend to have slightly less red coloring on the forehead and around the eyes compared to males. Juveniles similarly have less vibrant forehead coloring, with more olive-green feathers around the neck. But in general, the red band around the back of the neck is still visible even in younger birds.
No other bird on Macquarie Island can be confused with the parakeet. Its unique green and red plumage set it apart. When seen up close, the coloring is iridescent with a jewel-like brilliance that sparkles in the island sunlight. The only similar looking bird is the Red-crowned Parakeet of New Zealand which shares the colorful red and green pattern but lacks the distinctive yellow and red neck band.
Habitat and Distribution
The Macquarie Parakeet is endemic to Macquarie Island, a small island located about 900 miles (1,500 km) southeast of New Zealand’s South Island. Macquarie is roughly 34 miles (55 km) long and 5 miles (8 km) wide, covering an area of about 50 square miles (130 sq km). It lies close to the Antarctic convergence where cold polar waters meet the warmer waters of the Pacific, resulting in frequent storms and cloud cover.
The parakeet inhabits the grassy tussock and scrub habitat that covers the middle elevations of Macquarie Island, typically between 100-900 feet (30-300 m). This vegetation consists mostly of tussock grasses, mega herbs, and small woody shrubs. It provides ample food as well as nesting sites in hollows and burrows for the parakeet.
Higher rocky ridges and cliff faces are generally too wind-swept for the parakeet while dense stands of “fellfield” and boggy peat make movement difficult lower down near sea level. So the mid-level grass, herb fields, and scrublands provide the prime real estate.
Because Macquarie Island is the only home of the parakeet, its entire world distribution occurs on this single remote island, half way between New Zealand and Antarctica. Fortunately most of the land area has protected conservation status, but introduced threats in recent decades have brought the parakeet perilously close to extinction.
Diet and Feeding
The Macquarie Parakeet is mainly herbivorous, feeding on a variety of seeds, fruits, flowers, leaves, twigs and some insects. Its strong grey beak allows it to crack open even tough seeds and nuts.
Some of the main plant food sources include the fruits and seeds of the Macquarie Island cabbage (Stilbocarpa polaris), Kerguelen cabbage (Pringlea antiscorbutica), and native Hawthorn (Coprosma). It also feeds readily on introduced grasses and herbs like Poa tussocks, sheep’s sorrel, and procumbent pearlwort. Coastal tussock grasslands grazed by rabbits tend to provide good foraging areas.
The parakeet employs a variety of feeding behaviors suited to different food sources. It may perch on cabbage plants to carefully pick off fruit or use its foot to hold a stem while eating leaves or seeds. Strong claws allow it to hang upside down while feeding. For foods like grass seeds, the parakeet forages on the ground, sometimes digging with its beak. It also climbs shrubs and small trees searching for food.
Parakeets have been observed feeding in the company of other bird species including Brown Skuas, Red-billed Gulls, and Song Thrushes. These mixed species foraging flocks may benefit from extra vigilance against potential predators.
At certain times of year, Macquarie Parakeets may also cause crop damage, feeding on cereal grains and fruits in gardens and orchards near the island’s research station. But while pesky at times, their delightful charm and colorful plumage tend to offset any annoyance.
Breeding and Reproduction
The Macquarie Parakeet breeds during the island’s summer between September and January. The species is monogamous, pairs forming strong bonds that may persist for years. Both sexes share in defending their territory, nest building, incubating eggs, and caring for hatchlings.
Nests consist of a chamber lined with wood chips, twigs and feathers, positioned at the end of hollow logs, inside the stumps of dead shrubs, or in burrows dug into peat soil. Pairs may even nest in artificial sites like fence posts. Nest hollows are usually located 3-13 feet (1-4 m) above ground level.
Females normally lay between 3-4 eggs which are incubated for 21-22 days. The eggs are small, measuring roughly 1 inch (24 mm) long, and plain white without markings. Once hatched, both parents feed the chicks by regurgitating food into their mouths. Chicks will fledge at around 6 weeks, but may continue to be fed by the parents for several more weeks as they perfect their flying and foraging skills.
Based on observations of color-banded birds, the Macquarie Parakeet is thought to live up to 10 years in the wild. The annual breeding success though varies greatly, plummeting in years when invasive rats proliferate across the island. With so few birds left now in the modern age, a string of bad breeding years could doom this species.
Behavior and Ecology
The Macquarie Parakeet exhibits a mix of solitary and gregarious behavior depending on the season. During the breeding months when pairs occupy nesting territories, they become quite territorial and aggressive towards intruders. Their sharp repetitious squawking call, sounding like “kek-kek-kek”, carries some distance.
But outside the spring and summer breeding season, parakeets may gather in flocks of up to 20 individuals, especially where good feeding areas allow them to congregate. These flocks show complex social dynamics as the brightly colored birds interact, calling to each other while feeding, preening, squabbling or perched in rest.
Though not a strong flier for covering great distances, the parakeet is very agile in the air over shorter hops between herb fields, shrubs and small trees. Its swift undulating flight and long tail give it good aerial maneuverability. It tends to fly fairly low, just clearing the tussocks and scrub.
On the ground, Macquarie Parakeets walk or run with a comical swagger, bobbing their heads as they travel. Strong feet and legs allow them to readily climb branches and stems in search of food. They groom themselves frequently, using the beak and claws to adjust feathers or scratch hard to reach places. Dust baths maintain healthy plumage.
Roosting overnight likely takes place communally inside dense shrubs or small caves that provide shelter from the frequent storms and wind. Like many parrots they are unable to easily walk backwards, but can fully rotate their heads around to visually scan for threats in all directions. Their Average lifespan is up to 10 years.
Conservation Status
The Macquarie Parakeet is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This is the highest threat category before extinction.
The total population was estimated in 2016 to number less than 50 mature individuals and continues to decline. The species already went through an extreme population bottleneck in the 1980s when the population may have been reduced to less than 20 birds at one point.
Major threats to its survival include loss of habitat due to climate change, predation from invasive mammal species, and its extremely small population size making it prone to extinction from random events.
The tussock grasslands and scrub habitat the parakeet depends on is getting degraded as the climate warms and aridifies, causing the vegetation to transition to shorter “fellfield” cover. This reduces food availability and nesting sites. Parakeet territory size may expand as habitat quality declines.
Predation from rats, feral cats, and possums also take a toll on eggs, chicks, and adult birds. These invasive mammals were introduced to Macquarie Island last century and have no native predators helping to control their numbers. Poison baiting and other control efforts have so far failed to eradicate them.
With such a tiny remnant population, the Macquarie Parakeet could blink out from a run of bad luck – severe storms, disease, poor breeding years, or inbreeding depression. Without an infusion of new birds, its genetic diversity is very limited. A captive breeding program began in 2018 to safeguard the species, but reintroduction back to the wild remains a challenge.
Thus the survival prognosis for the parakeet in its natural habitat remains tenuous at best. Unless the introduced mammalian predators can be eliminated and habitat restored, the endemic jewel of Macquarie Island remains on the knife’s edge of extinction.
Cultural Significance
As the only endemic parrot on Macquarie Island, the colorful parakeet has come to symbolize the unique wildlife of this remote and windswept land. It features prominently as a cultural icon, appearing on postage stamps, coins, logos of local conservation groups, artwork, and handicraft souvenirs.
The parakeet’s image graces at least five commemorative postage stamps issued from Macquarie Island since the 1990s. Coins minted for collecting often depict the parakeet against a backdrop of the island’s rocky peaks. Birdlife International’s Macquarie Island Branch uses the stylized parakeet as its emblem.
Bright photos and paintings of the crimson-headed birds now grace conservation websites, ecotourism brochures, scientific reports, and school project displays. Handicrafters incorporate parakeet feathers and imagery into jewelry, clothing, and quilts sold locally. A favorite children’s book called “Major Mitchell’s Parakeet” tells a fictional story of the bird’s discovery.
As a flagship species that is extremely rare and found nowhere else, the parakeet has become interwoven into the cultural tapestry of Macquarie Island. Its extinction would create a painful absence, not just environmentally but socially and psychologically. It remains a visible symbol giving hope during difficult battles against invasive species and climate change.
Perhaps in time, with proper conservation management, visitors will once again commonly see flocks of emerald green parakeets chattering amongst the tussocks. For now though, they cling precariously onto a likely doomed future unless we step up our environmental commitment to this extraordinary island and its unique birds.
Conclusion
The Macquarie Parakeet remains an endemic jewel confined solely to the remote and windswept Macquarie Island halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica. With its bright red forehead, green feathers, blue wings, and yellow-red collar, it stands out as a uniquely colorful and playful member of the island’s avifauna.
Yet sadly, this parakeet’s future survival remains under dire threat. Invasive species like rats, cats, and possums have reduced its population to less than 50 mature individuals struggling to persist in a declining habitat. As a Critically Endangered species prone to extinction, the Macquarie Parakeet today hangs on only by a slim thread.
Urgent measures are still needed to fully eradicate introduced predators from Macquarie Island and allow the parakeet’s tussock grassland home to regenerate in a warming climate. Captive breeding provides some insurance but reintroduction back to the wild will be challenging. Without intervention, this endemic bird could be lost in our lifetime.
As an isolated and beautiful species found nowhere else on Earth, increased global commitment to preserve the Macquarie Parakeet would safeguard a special component of our planetary natural heritage. Hopefully future generations will still know the sight and sound of parakeet flocks brightening the landscape with color and activity. The time to act is now if we aim to successfully achieve this conservation mission.
