284 Sydney Porter—Notes on the Cyanorhamphus ParraJceets





quite common in English aviaries, but has, alas ! grown scarcer and

scarcer until at last it is practically extinct in the North Island, the

Little Barrier Island being one of the few places where it is found to-day,

and even there it is far from common. This is strange, for it is supposed

to be a very prolific breeder ; Gutherie Smith records having found

nine young ones in a nest.


The Yellow-fronted Parrakeet is now almost unknown in captivity

in its native land, for apart from its rarity it is an offence against the

law to keep it. I only came across two birds in my travels, both males,

and I am quite sure these were the only ones in captivity. There is

no more charming bird in existence from an aviculturist’s point of

view than this dainty and intelligent little Parrakeet. It is very

beautiful, friendly, easy to feed, has no harsh notes, does not destroy

woodwork, and is altogether the most delightful bird one could wish for.

In the old days it was quite easily bred. It is a thousand pities that

a small breeding stock could not be obtained so that the race could be

perpetuated in captivity, but I am afraid that this will never be, and

we must be thankful to think that this species still exists at all—it

certainly would not have done had not certain islands been reserved

as sanctuaries.


To show how misleading statements regarding birds may be, I heard

whilst in the North Island that there was a large breeding colony of

these birds in the forest country between Lake Waikaremoana and the

Ruahine Mountains. I diligently traced down, from one to another,

the original person who knew the whereabouts of the birds, only to find

on reaching Lake Waikaremoana that the birds were plentiful—fifty

years ago !


Buller says in his monumental work, The Birds of New Zealand :

“ The Yellow-fronted Parrakeet is easily netted and when caged soon

adapts itself to captivity. Twenty years ago a Mr. Bills of Dunedin

brought a hundred or more of them in cages to England, and they found

ready purchasers at a guinea each.” What would such a consignment

be worth to-day ?


I made a special trip down to Stewart Island, intending to visit

some of the small outlying islands off the South Cape, mainly Moggy

Island, Evening Island, and Hidden Island, where this Parrakeet is



