Have you heard or seen these beauties recently? There have been sightings of these fabulous parrots in our area! This is wonderful news, as it means we are doing something right to get the environment back to somewhere that can support these curious characters.
You are likely to hear their squawks long before you see them as they screech through the sky!
It is very encouraging to hear and see more of these parrots. As we continue to work hard on pest eradication it give space back to the native flora and fauna. Hearing the calls of these quite characterful birds through the valley is a wee indication of what the cacophony of bird song was once throughout this area (and New Zealand as a whole).
If you need some help in identifying these gorgeous birds they are a large, olive-brown parrot with grey-white crown, red-orange underwing and deep crimson belly and under-tail coverts.
Their voice is a harsh, repeated, rhythmic “ka-aa” when flying above the forest canopy, harsh grating “kraak” alarm call when disturbed. Also a variety of loud, musical whistles, but these vary markedly from place to place.
If you want to find out more of these splendid locals check out nzbirdsonline.org.nz