New Caledonian lorikeet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids New Caledonian lorikeet |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Vini
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| Species: |
diadema
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| Synonyms | |
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Psitteuteles diadema Verreaux & Des Murs, 1860 |
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The New Caledonian lorikeet (Vini diadema) is a very rare parrot. It lives only on the island of New Caledonia in the Pacific Ocean. Scientists think it might be extinct, meaning it no longer exists. It is a type of lorikeet, which are small, colorful parrots.
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How Scientists Name This Bird
Scientists group living things to understand them better. This is called taxonomy. The New Caledonian lorikeet used to be in a group called Charmosyna. However, new studies in 2020 showed it was more like birds in the Vini group. So, scientists moved it to the Vini group. This helps them understand how different birds are related.
What the Lorikeet Looks Like
The New Caledonian lorikeet is about 18–19 cm long. This is about the size of a large hand. Its tail is long and thin, making up about 7–8 cm of its length. Its wings are slender and pointed.
Female Lorikeets
Female birds are mostly green. They have a deep purple-blue color on their head. Their thighs are dark blue, and their face is yellowish. The area under their tail is red. Their tail is green on top and yellowish-green underneath. The outer tail feathers have red marks, a black band, and yellow tips. Their beak is orange-red, and their eyes and feet are likely dark orange.
Male Lorikeets
Scientists have never seen a male New Caledonian lorikeet. Based on similar birds, males probably have more red colors. This might include red on their face and under their wings. They might also be a little bigger than females. Young birds probably look like duller females.
Sounds of the Lorikeet
No one knows what sounds this bird makes. However, other similar lorikeets make high-pitched screeches. These sounds would be the best way to find the bird. But only if you know the calls of other local parrots. Even though the bird is small and unique, it is very hard to spot.
Where the Lorikeet Lives
Scientists do not know exactly where the only known bird specimen came from. One bird was shot in 1913 near Mont Ignambi but was not saved. There have been a few unconfirmed reports of sightings. These reports come from the North Province near Mont Panié and Mont Ignambi. Other reports are from the South Province, near the La Foa-Canala road and Yaté Lake.
Some experts think it might live around Mont Panié and Mont Humboldt. These areas are hard to reach. So, small groups of these birds could still be living in undisturbed forests. This could be in areas between the coastal roads, near the province border.
How the Lorikeet Lives
This bird is hard to find because it moves around a lot. It is also not very noticeable. Scientists believe it lives in humid mountain forests. But it might fly into lowland Melaleuca forests at certain times of the year. Most reports come from lowland forests. This is probably because these areas are easier for people to access. Mont Ignambi is thought to be a perfect home for this bird. One report from Yaté Lake was in an area with low shrubs.
Diet and Foraging
The New Caledonian lorikeet seems to stay in the treetops. Related birds eat nectar, pollen, flowers, and sometimes soft fruits. They usually look for food in pairs or small groups of fewer than 10 birds. The plant Erythrina was specifically mentioned as a food source for this species.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Scientists do not have much information about how 'green' Charmosyna lorikeets reproduce. We only have data for the Red-flanked and red-fronted lorikeet. The breeding season for the New Caledonian lorikeet is probably from July to December, possibly even to February, or all year round. They might make their nests inside termite nests in trees or in epiphytic ferns. They usually lay two (sometimes three) white, round eggs. Based on other similar birds, their eggs might be about 19.6 x 18.7 mm in size.
Status of the Lorikeet
The New Caledonian lorikeet was first described from two female bird skins collected before 1860. One of these skins has since disappeared. The other is kept at the MNHN museum. In 1913, there was a report of a bird near Oubatche, but it was not saved. Some people reported rare sightings up to 1880.
In 1976, a local person identified the bird from a picture. They said they saw one near Lake Yaté many years ago, possibly in the 1920s. A forestry official claimed to have seen two birds flying overhead twice. Once in 1953 or 1954, and again in 1976. However, none of these sightings could be confirmed. All searches for the bird have been unsuccessful.
Is It Extinct?
Scientists disagree on whether the New Caledonian lorikeet still exists. Some thought it was extinct in 1860, but this is not correct. Most experts hope someone will find it again. This hope is not unrealistic. It is a very small bird, hard to see, and lives in a large, wild area. This area is difficult for scientists to explore. In 1999, another bird, Aegotheles savesi, was rediscovered after 119 years. This gives scientists hope. A search in 1998 in the Mont Ignambi area did not find the bird. Local people there did not know about it. New searches in highland rainforests were planned for 2006/2007.
Why Is It So Rare?
The reasons for the bird's rarity are not known. Other parrots in New Caledonia have also become rarer. This happens when their homes are changed by humans. This suggests that human activity might be harming the birds. However, if the lorikeet became rarer after 1880, it was too early for habitat loss to be the main reason. Also, catching birds for pets probably did not cause the decline.
Introduced animals like cats or rats might be to blame. Or perhaps a new disease. It could also be a mix of these things and small changes to their habitat. For example, if large areas of lowland forest were destroyed, the birds might have lost a food source they needed. Cats and European rats arrived in the mid-1800s, which fits the timeline. However, cats probably did not spread across the whole island until more recently. Rats, especially black rats, which live in trees, are a serious threat. But the bird survived the arrival of the Polynesian rat long ago.
For whatever reason, the New Caledonian lorikeet is extremely rare and hard to find. Its rarity might be partly because it is so hard to spot. A related bird, the red-throated lorikeet, was thought to be extinct. But it was found to have survived in large numbers until the 1970s. However, it is more likely that the New Caledonian lorikeet is truly rare. Any remaining groups are probably small and spread out.
Conservation Status
The New Caledonian lorikeet is listed in CITES Appendix II. This means its trade is controlled to protect it. It is also listed as Critically Endangered (D1) by IUCN. This means scientists believe there are likely fewer than fifty of these birds left. A study in 2018 suggested changing its status to Critically Endangered - Possibly Extinct. This was due to bird extinction patterns and no sightings since 1987.
