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Lord Howe parakeet †
Cyanoramphus subflavescens

Lord Howe Island Parakeet

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Lord Howe Island Parakeet

Description:

21-27 cm.. of length and a weight of 80 g..

The Lord Howe Island Parakeet (Cyanoramphus subflavescens) was a medium-sized green parrot with a head bright green, the crown crimson red in color and a stripe on the eyes; the eyes were red and bill grey. The upperparts They were bright green with a dark red spot on each side of the rump (usually they are hidden by the wings when resting) and a blue border in wings; the underparts were yellowish green.

Both sexes looked similar, but the female It was smaller.

Taxonomic status:

This taxon is considered a subspecies of Cyanoramphus [novaezelandiae or subflavescens] (sensu lato) by some authors.

In 2012, World Bird List of IOC recognized him as a species [IOC world birdnames Archived 2012-08-06 at the Wayback Machine.].

Habitat:

The Lord Howe Island Parakeet It was occasionally observed in flocks. There is little information on their habitats, They probably lived in inhabited forests and cultivated areas of the Lord Howe Island. No information on the use of different habitats for different activities.

Reproduction:

Nothing is known of sexual maturity, life expectancy and natural mortality of this extinct species. But, It has been estimated that the useful life of the Lord Howe Island Parakeet should be similar to the Norfolk Island Parakeet (Cyanoramphus cookii), About three years. the age of sexual maturity is also known populations of this species, although a juvenile female was seen mating with a male just a week after achieving independence, and captive birds are said to have bred when they were less than a year old.

Little else is known of the breeding of the Lord Howe Island Parakeet, probably reproduced in response to weather conditions and food availability, nesting in tree holes or hollow pipes, in crevices between rocks or cliffs.

Food:

Meal Lord Howe Island Parakeet probably consisted of plant material, as seeds, fruit, buds and leaves of native trees and shrubs. Other extant populations ate mainly seeds, fruits and berries, egg yolks, sprouts and flowers, as well as, occasionally, a small number of invertebrates.

Distribution:

endemic to the isla Lord Howe in the Sea of ​​Tasmania, part of New South Wales, Australia.

Conservation:

• The last record of this species dates from 1869. EXTINCT.

The population declines were mainly due to habitat modification, hunting, poisoning, and the introduction of predators (especially cats and rats).
But, the main threat to the Lord Howe Island Parakeet was the hunting and its capture by settlers. Formerly he abounded in the Lord Howe Island and it was said to be a plague, since it destroyed the crops and orchards of the inhabitants of the island.

There are only two copies of Lord Howe Island Parakeet. From the collection John Gould, taken by John MacGillivray in September of 1853 on tour HMS Herald, and are in the Museum of Natural History [Schodde, R.; & Mason, I.J. (1997). Birds (Columbidae to Coraciidae). In Houston, W.W.K. & Wells, A. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 37.2. CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne. ISBN 0-643-06456-7 p.147.].

Alternative names:

Lord Howe Island Parakeet, Lord Howe Island red-crowned parakeet, Lord Howe Parakeet, Red-Fronted Parakeet (English).
Perruche de Lord Howe (French).
Lord Howe-Laufsittich (German).
Periquito de Lord Howe (Portuguese).
Perico de Lord Howe (español).

scientific classification:

Salvadori-Thomas
Salvadori Tommaso

Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittaculidae
Gender: Cyanoramphus
Scientific name: Cyanoramphus subflavescens
Subpoena: Salvadori, 1891
Protonimo: Cyanorhamphus subflavescens

Sources:

Avibase
• Parrots of the World – Forshaw Joseph M
• Parrots A Guide to the Parrots of the World – Tony Juniper & Mike Parr
Red-crowned Parakeet (Lord Howe Is. subsp.) – profile | NSW Environment & Heritage

Photos:

(1) – Cyanorhamphus subflavescens (Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum. Volume 20) by John Gerrard Keulemans [Public domain] (2) – Hand coloured lithograph (circa 1928) showing (Cyanorhamphus subflavescens) Which is now a synonym of the Lord Howe Island Red-fronted Parakeet (Gray novaezelandiae subflavescens) From The Birds of Australia (1910-28) by Gregory Macalister Mathews (1876-1949) Artwork by Henrik Gronvold (1858–1940) a Danish bird illustrator. by Henrik Grönvold [Public domain]

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