Red-fronted Parakeet (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae)

The omnivorous red-fronted parakeet feeds mainly on plant material, including seeds, fruits, flowers, nectar, leaves and shoots, but also on invertebrates and will occasionally scavenge animal carrion (6) (7). These parakeets live in permanent pairs that frequently join with other pairs and their young, and have been observed to form small flocks in the autumn and winter (8). In studies on Little Barrier Island, breeding activity was recorded from November to March, with peak egg-laying in December (9). Clutches were usually large, ranging from four to nine (average of seven) eggs, and female parakeets took total responsibility for their incubation, which lasts from 19 to 23 days (5) (9). Hatchlings are covered with a white down that changes to grey within a few days (5). Fledglings leave the nest after 32 to 49 days (9).

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