Lord Howe Red-crowned Parakeet
Encyclopedia
The Lord Howe Red-crowned Parakeet (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae subflavescens), also known as the Lord Howe Red-fronted Parakeet, was a parrot endemic to Lord Howe Island
in the Tasman Sea
, part of New South Wales
, Australia
. It is an extinct
subspecies
of the Red-fronted Parakeet.
grounds that the taxon is likely to be most closely related to the Norfolk Island Green Parrot
(Cyanoramphus cookii), as either a subspecies of what they have tentatively called the Tasman Parakeet (Cyanoramphus cookii subflavescens), or possibly a full species (Cyanoramphus subflavescens).
s indicate that it was slightly larger than the nominate subspecies as well as having yellower plumage and less extensive red markings on the head.
There are only two specimens of the Lord Howe Red-crowned Parakeet in existence. They come from the John Gould
collection, taken by John MacGillivray
in September 1853 on the voyage of HMS Herald
, and are held in the British Museum
.
Lord Howe Island
Lord Howe Island is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, directly east of mainland Port Macquarie, and about from Norfolk Island. The island is about 11 km long and between 2.8 km and 0.6 km wide with an area of...
in the Tasman Sea
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...
, part of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is an extinct
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of the Red-fronted Parakeet.
Taxonomy
Pending molecular analysis, Christidis & Boles (2008) have suggested on biogeographicalBiogeography
Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species , organisms, and ecosystems in space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities vary in a highly regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, isolation and habitat area...
grounds that the taxon is likely to be most closely related to the Norfolk Island Green Parrot
Norfolk Island Green Parrot
The Norfolk Parakeet , also called Tasman Parakeet, Norfolk Island Green Parrot or Norfolk Island Red-crowned Parakeet, is a species of parrot in the Psittacidae family. It is endemic to Norfolk Island...
(Cyanoramphus cookii), as either a subspecies of what they have tentatively called the Tasman Parakeet (Cyanoramphus cookii subflavescens), or possibly a full species (Cyanoramphus subflavescens).
Description
The Lord Howe Red-crowned Parakeet was a medium-sized green parrot with a crimson cap and eye-stripe. Measurements of specimenSpecimen
A specimen is a portion/quantity of material for use in testing, examination, or study.BiologyA laboratory specimen is an individual animal, part of an animal, a plant, part of a plant, or a microorganism, used as a representative to study the properties of the whole population of that species or...
s indicate that it was slightly larger than the nominate subspecies as well as having yellower plumage and less extensive red markings on the head.
Extinction
The parrot was formerly abundant on the island but was persecuted by the early settlers there because of its raids on their crops and gardens. It was last recorded in 1869.There are only two specimens of the Lord Howe Red-crowned Parakeet in existence. They come from the John Gould
John Gould
John Gould was an English ornithologist and bird artist. The Gould League in Australia was named after him. His identification of the birds now nicknamed "Darwin's finches" played a role in the inception of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection...
collection, taken by John MacGillivray
John MacGillivray
John MacGillivray was a Scottish-naturalist, active in Australia between 1842 and 1867.MacGillivray was born in Aberdeen, the son of ornithologist William MacGillivray. He took part in three of the Royal Navy's surveying voyages in the Pacific...
in September 1853 on the voyage of HMS Herald
HMS Herald
Five ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Herald:* The first Herald was an 18-gun ship sloop launched in 1806, re-classed as a 20-gun Sixth Rate in 1810 and 24-gun in 1817, and broken up in 1817....
, and are held in the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
.