Rare parakeet races up endangered list

By ANNE BESTON environment reporter

New Zealand's conservation agency is facing its most serious extinction crisis in two decades as a rare bird jumps to the top of the critically endangered list.

Orange-fronted parakeet numbers have plummeted 75 per cent in just three years, to between 100 and 200 birds, due to predation by stoats and rats.

Unlike others at the top of the critically endangered list, such as the kakapo, black robin and takahe, the orange-fronted parakeet has no safety net because transfer to an offshore island is at least five years away.

The bird's last stronghold is in two South Island valleys and attempts to breed it in captivity have been unsuccessful.

In February, five eggs taken to a Te Anau aviary resulted in five chicks, three of which have now died, including the only surviving female one, which died two weeks ago.

Conservation Minister Chris Carter will visit the bird's North Canterbury home in two weeks. Mr Carter said he would use powers under the Conservation Act to fast-track a pest eradication programme, including aerial 1080 and brodifacoum rat bait if necessary.

"If I have to issue a directive that they are used I will. It's an emergency situation and I am really alarmed at the figures I have been given," he said.

The orange-fronted parakeet was only identified four years ago as a separate species from its close relatives the yellow-crowned and red-crowned parakeets.

Critics say the Department of Conservation has done too little, too late for the birds.

"DoC seems to think it should research something for 10 years before it does anything," said conservationist and Forest Restoration Trust founder Geoff Davidson.

He, like Forest and Bird national president Dr Gerry McSweeney, believes the department has become bait-shy, adopting a "politically correct" stance by being unwilling to use 1080.

"DoC's had the wind put up it because some people have become irrational and obsessional about poison being dropped from the sky," Dr McSweeney said.

Mr Carter agreed DoC had been "quite cautious" in its use of the controversial poison.

Of DoC's 13 regions just three - Northland, Wanganui and West Coast - use it.

"There has been such a vociferous response from the hunting fraternity and others and really lots of nonsense has been promoted by opponents [of 1080] but these birds are on the brink," the minister said.

The orange-fronted parakeet population is thought to have crashed after "beech-masting" - unusually high amounts of beech seed - occurred two years in a row in 2000/2001, thought to be a once-in-20-year event.

Beech-masting is thought to set off a vicious predator cycle with increased numbers of rats and stoats.

Orange-fronted parakeet (Cyanoramphus malherbi) are bright green with a pale lemon-yellow crown, an orange forehead band and orange rump spots. They are around 23cm in length with a long tail.

Dying breeds

New Zealand has more than 2000 endangered species.

Of those, 312 are classed as "nationally critical", including the kakapo, black stilt, fairy tern and Okarito brown kiwi.

In the past 700 to 800 years, humans and their accompanying pests have made extinct:

32 per cent of indigenous land and freshwater birds.

18 per cent of endemic sea birds.

Three of seven frogs.

At least 12 invertebrates such as snails and insects, one fish, one bat, perhaps three reptiles and possibly 11 plants.