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THE PARROT SPECIES FIELD GUIDE · Psittaculidae

Malherbe’s Parakeet

Cyanoramphus malherbi

Meet the malherbe’s parakeet: its taxonomic place, natural range and conservation record.

Malherbe’s Parakeet — Cyanoramphus malherbi
Malherbe’s Parakeet
SPECIES NOTES

A closer look.

Scientific names follow AviList v2025b. Read the taxonomy and source notes for changes in classification.

About this species

Orange-fronted parakeet (Cyanoramphus malherbi) or Malherbe's parakeet is a small parrot endemic to New Zealand. It is known in te reo māori as kākāriki karaka or orange-fronted kākāriki, with kākāriki translating to 'small parrot' and the colour green. The species shares the name "orange-fronted parakeet" with Eupsittula canicularis, a Central American species. Restricted to a few valleys in the South Island, its population declined to around 200 in the 1990s, and it is considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and Nationally Critical by the New Zealand Threat Classification System.

Conservation record

AviList v2025b records this species as not evaluated. Assessments and taxonomy can change; follow the source checklist for updates.

Sources & image credit

Names, family, range and conservation record: AviList Core Team (2026), AviList v2025b, CC BY 4.0. Species summary: Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Image: Jon Sullivan from Christchurch, New Zealand. Original file and full credit · CC BY 2.0. Display size and encoding adjusted.