About this species
The black-fronted parakeet or Tahiti parakeet (Cyanoramphus zealandicus) is an extinct species of parrot endemic to the Pacific island of Tahiti. Its native name was simply 'ā'ā ("parrot") according to Latham (1790) though White (1887) gives "aa-maha". It was discovered on James Cook's first voyage in 1769, on which the two specimens now in Liverpool and the one in the Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum in Tring appear to have been collected. Two of them – one of those in Liverpool and the Tring specimen – may also have been taken on Cook's second voyage, in 1773, but the type was painted by Sydney Parkinson who had died in 1771.
Where it occurs
Formerly Society Islands; extinct, last reported 1850.
Conservation record
AviList v2025b records this species as extinct, with the checklist noting Extinct. Assessments and taxonomy can change; follow the source checklist for updates.
