Red-fronted parakeet  (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae)

The red-fronted parakeet has been upgraded from Least Concern to Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List due to its apparent extinction from the mainland, leaving only fragmented populations across off-shore islands. European settlement and conversion of forest to farmland probably contributed significantly to this bird’s decline, with clear-felling, logging and burning of forests drastically reducing available habitat. The disappearance of this species from the mainland is also attributed to nest predation from introduced predators, such as rats, cats, stoats and weasels, in addition to competition for food and breeding sites from introduced birds. Formerly persecuted for damaging crops and gardens (6).

The red-fronted parakeet is fully protected from trade across international boarders by its listing on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) (3). A captive breeding programme has also been established on Norfolk Island for this bird. The ability of this species to breed well in captivity, and its popularity in aviculture collections, is likely to prevent this bird from ever becoming completely extinct. Future priorities advocated in the conservation of the red-fronted parakeet include preserving important habitat of remaining populations, carrying out research to determine current population size and trends, and performing predator control measures if found to be appropriate (6).