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New Zealand Kaka
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
The size of the Kaka is around 45cm - about the same size as an Umbrella Cockatoo or about 10cm larger than a Galah or Major Mitchell.
The Kaka is - in general - a forest-dwelling parrot which spends most of the day high up in the trees, making them rather difficult to see or study. They tend to be found between sea-level and 1500 metres - unlike the Kea which is found up into the alpine areas.
When the Europeans first arrived in New Zealand, Kaka were reputed to inhabit most parts of the country, but as more and more bush was cleared to make way for farmland the distribution of the Kaka reduced. Today Kaka still inhabit most large native forests on both islands and are a common sight on the two main island sanctuaries of Kapiti and Little Barrier. The main locations of the Kaka include: Forests of Pureora, Tongariro, Kaimanawa, and Urewera in the central North Island; Forests on the west coast of the South Island. Kaka are also attracted to suburban gardens, especially those flush with flax bushes. The flax bushes on Graeme Sangster's Whangaparaoa property often get visited by Kaka during the summer when they are flowering.
Natural Diet
Kaka are persistent insect hunters - it is not unusual for a cock Kaka to dig into a live Beech tree for up to two hours to get at a single beetle. The unfortunate thing for the Kaka is that it expends more energy getting the beetle out of the wood, than it gets in the way of nourishment. The Kaka has a bristle tongue with the bristles far more developed than the Kea, giving rise to the need for a higher proportion of nectar in their diet. As the South Island is not flush with flowering native trees, the SI Kaka obtains its prime energy food from drops of honeydew. This sugary substance is produced by a small beetle which lives in the bark of some Beech trees. The honeydew is rich in energy food but low in protein, and is mainly taken by the Kaka from the forest canopy rather than lower down the trees.
Unfortunately for the Kaka it has competition for the honeydew from another human-introduced pest - the common wasp. As visitors to parts of the South Island know - wasps can be a real nuisance and the Kaka have a similar view of them. In areas where there is a high concentration of wasps, Kaka are usually uncommon. Another human-introduced pest, the possum, also causes the Kaka a bit of grief - they destroy mistletoe plants which have flowers and fruit much liked by the Kaka.
Natural Habits
As with its cousin the Kea, the Kaka is a superb chewer - a factor which must be seriously considered if contemplating keeping the species in captivity.
The Kaka is active in the early morning and in the late evening, and is also known to be active at night in the summer. They can become a little tame and will accept food from human hands - as any visitor to Little Barrier Island in the Hauraki Gulf will testify. Outside of the breeding season Kaka tend to flock in small groups of up to ten. |
technogran, LordPotty, japie has marked this note useful
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Good stuff Pam. Great to see NZ natives here.We were lucky enough to see these in the Ureweras a few months ago.Very comprehensive notes too.Thanks for this one.
- japie
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1814 W: 100 N: 1904]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif)
(5187) - [2004-11-01 10:23]
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If you have an itch, you have to scratch it! Nice image and that beak looks very powerful. Your note is excellent.
Thanks for posting
Great capture of a bird that would be difficult to take in the wild, as your note says they spend most of their time high up in the trees. The colours are muted tones but very nice.
Good work.
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- Pamela
![Silver Star Critiquer [C: 47 W: 0 N: 2]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/s-n-n.gif)
(207) - [2004-11-17 7:01]
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Qué lindo, qué tierno, qué simpático. Yo no tengo la oportunidad de tomar fotos del mundo animal en donde yo vivo. Aprecio el trabajo de quienes tienen la suerte de hacerlo.
Saludos,
Pamela
