Kakariki Yellow

Kakarikis are active by nature, and are ideal for aviaries even in urban areas as their calls are unlikely to disturb the neighbours. A diet based on a mixture of millets and canary seed with a little sunflower seed added, suits them well.

They should also be given greenfood such as chickweed or dandelions regularly, and this should be sprinkled with a powdered supplement. Fruit in the form of dessert apple will be eaten too, and unusually, they may eat mealworms as well. Grit and cuttlefish bone should also be offered too.

Lutino red-fronted kakarikiPairs will often breed twice a year in succession during the summer months in temperate climates, with the hen typically laying a clutch of between 5-9 eggs. The incubation period lasts about 19 days, and rearing foods – such as canary eggfood – should be provided for the adult birds once the chicks have hatched. The young birds are usually feeding themselves by 6 weeks of age, and can be separated from their parents at this stage.

Unlike many parrots, red-fronted kakarikis are have a relatively short lifespan, with a life expectancy of little more than 6 years. Their level of activity is such that they are not as suitable to be kept as pets in the home, unless they can be given plenty of space here, although they will become tame.