This issue is excerpted from the journal AFA Bird Watching. The American Federation of Bird Keeping (AFA) is an anarchist educational institution whose purpose is to educate the public and help members understand how to raise birds. AFA members actively support parrot research projects to improve the standard of living of parrots in their native habitat.
This article will introduce the white-capped sheeppecker, also known as the Kaka.
The Kaka sheeppecker (also known as the white-capped sheeppecker, Latin name: Nestor meridionalis) is a very intelligent parrot with a tongue like a brush. Some people think they look a little strange, don't seem like parrots, but they are really parrots. They are currently in a drastic decline in numbers and belong to the category of Vulnerable Species (VU).
01 Subspecies of the white-capped sheeppecker
There are two subspecies of the Kaka sheeppecker: the Austronesian subspecies and the North Island subspecies. These two subspecies are found in the North and South Islands of New Zealand, respectively. The Austronesian subspecies refers to the subspecies (Latin name: Nestor m. meridionalis). The North Island subspecies ( Latin : Nestor m. septentrionalis ) is found in New Zealand's North Island and adjacent outlying islands and is thought to be smaller and less intense in color than the South Island subspecies. They live in New Zealand's forests and islands, sometimes close to suburban areas.
Habitat distribution map
White-capped sheeppecker
02 Status of the white-capped sheeppecker
There are currently an estimated 1,000-5,000 wild Kaka sheeppeckers in New Zealand. As it stands, they are listed as vulnerable, and attempts have begun to breed in captivity before releasing newborn birds into the wild. These rescue programs have progressed quite successfully, with captive and released offspring observed in areas where kaka parrots have not been found for a long time. These rewilded Kaka parrots are able to cross and breed with wild parrots.
IUCN Red List Endangered Status: Vulnerable (VU)
03 The threat to the white-capped parrot
The survival of the kaka parrot is threatened in two ways, with its habitat being deforested and forced to compete with pests for food. These pests include possums, cats, weasels, and many more. Fences have been set up to protect harmless organisms and other native species, and the Kaka parrot is on the conservation list.
White-capped sheeppecker
04 Diet of white-capped parrots
The diet of wild kaka parrots includes seeds, berries, honeydew, nectar, sap, and live food. Their food is seasonal and they are constantly looking for food throughout the year. They are important pollinators of forests, and in addition to having a brush-like tongue, the Kaka parrot has a huge beak used to peck out the larvae of woodworms from trees and fallen stumps. In the forest you can hear them struggling to pry open the wood and get the larvae.
In captivity, the dietary requirements of kaka parrots are very diverse. They can get enough nutrients from a variety of foods, but they also need to add protein. Here is a reference list of foods people offer to captive kaka parrots:
- Universal mixed parrot feed
- Walnuts, almonds, peanuts
- vegetable
- fruit
In addition, wild shoots and flowers are required. The fruit of the genus Coprosma grandifolia, which is endemic to New Zealand, is also one of their main foods, and when the plant matures, the Kaka parrot first devours the fruit, then peels off the leaves, and eats the bark and shoots. In order to provide nectar, the domestic Kaka is also provided with local flax, melaleuca and other non-toxic flowers, which the Kaka parrot loves very much. A mixed supplement containing strawberry supplements and honey water, Kaka parrots also love. In addition, a large amount of live food needs to be provided, especially they like to chew rotting wood and eat the larvae of the sawed longhorn beetle.
Fruit of the genus Coprosma grandifolia (Latin name: Coprosma grandifolia)
Larvae of the sawed beetle (Huhu beetle)
Here is a list of diet for captive kaka parrots given by others:
- Common parrot mixed feed
- Nectar mixture containing pollen
- Plenty of seasonal fruits and vegetables (kaka parrots love dates)
- Berries of the genus Hyacinthum and Quercus spp
- Flax and alfalfa (Latin name: Cytisus proliferus)
- Wheat worms are provided, but they are never eaten
- Logs are provided regularly for birds to peck at the larvae
Berries of the genus Quercus
Flax
Alfalfa (Latin name: Cytisus proliferus)
05 Aviary of the white-capped sheeppecker
To better raise your Kaka parrots, you need a large spacious aviary. Although they spend most of their time in trees, they also spend a lot of time on the ground foraging. Pictured here is a large, plant-planted aviary, about 30 meters long, 10 meters wide and 4 meters high, in which a pair of Kaka sheeppeckers are kept. This was built to show and protect them. Every inch of space in the aviary is fully utilized by the birds, and anything new that appears in the cage is quickly checked or destroyed by them. The intelligence of these birds is very high, and one should provide as much as possible to stimulate their brains.
Smaller aviaries can also be used if private farming is carried out. It is necessary to have facilities with direct access to the ground as in traditional aviaries and allow birds to fly and explore inside. Compared to other parrot species, the kaka parrot requires more external stimuli. A breeder kept the Kaka parrot in an aviary 6 meters long, 6 meters wide and 3 meters high.
06 Breeding of the white-capped sheeppecker
Wild kaka birds usually nest in tall tree holes, except on islands, where nests may be close to forest floors. Kaka parrots can lay up to 4 eggs at a time, and an average of 2-4 chicks hatch in a clutch. Juvenile kaka parrots usually begin to learn to fly around 8 weeks, but still need to stay on the ground for a while, as by then they are not fully developed and vulnerable to predators such as martens. Once paired, the Kaka bird has a relatively strong reproductive capacity.
07 Individual breeding
There are very few people breeding this breed, and New Zealand officials rarely allow private breeding of any native species.
08 About New Zealand's parrots
There are three species of large parrots in New Zealand, the sheeppecker is a mountain parrot, the kaka parrot is a forest parrot and the kakapo is a ground-dwelling parrot.
Sheeppecker
White-capped sheeppecker (Kaka parrot)
Kakapo
09 Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Hayden Van Hoof and those who contributed to this article.
Source: AFA Bird Watching Magazine, 2017, 44(2): 31-35. By Jade Welch
Editor: Mr. Zhang San