Skip to main content

Photo: Jon Sullivan from Christchurch, New Zealand / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Critically Endangered

Malherbe’s Parakeet

Cyanoramphus malherbi

Malherbe's Parakeet (Cyanoramphus malherbi) — Parrots & Cockatoos of Australia & Oceania.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 2 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists
See what's near you right now

The Malherbe’s Parakeet (Cyanoramphus malherbi) is a member of the Psittaculidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 46.7 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Critically Endangered.

CR Critically Endangered

Facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Psittaciformes
  3. Family Psittaculidae Old World Parrots
  4. Genus Cyanoramphus
  5. Species malherbi

Where it lives

South I. and satellites (New Zealand)

Quick facts

Weight
46.7 g
Diet
Omnivores
Family
Psittaculidae
Habitat
Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Malherbe’s Parakeet is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Behaviour

A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.

Migration

The Malherbe’s Parakeet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Malherbe’s Parakeet (Cyanoramphus malherbi) is a species of bird in the Psittaculidae family, part of the order Psittaciformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU South I. and satellites (New Zealand).

It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 46.7 g, with a wing length of about 9.9 cm and a tail of around 11 cm.

It is classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and is a focus of conservation concern. Critically Endangered is the highest risk category before extinction in the wild.

The species has a mapped global range of roughly 307 km² — a relatively restricted global range.

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Malherbe’s Parakeet?

The Malherbe’s Parakeet is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 46.7 g.

Where does the Malherbe’s Parakeet live?

The Malherbe’s Parakeet is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU South I. and satellites (New Zealand), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.

What family does the Malherbe’s Parakeet belong to?

The Malherbe’s Parakeet (Cyanoramphus malherbi) belongs to the Psittaculidae family, in the order Psittaciformes.

What does the Malherbe’s Parakeet eat?

The Malherbe’s Parakeet is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.

Does the Malherbe’s Parakeet migrate?

The Malherbe’s Parakeet is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Malherbe’s Parakeet endangered?

It is classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List and is a focus of conservation concern Critically Endangered is the highest risk category before extinction in the wild.

How large is the Malherbe’s Parakeet's range?

The Malherbe’s Parakeet has a mapped global range of about 307 km².

Conservation

Critically Endangered

Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.

How to help birds

Explore more birds

More in Psittaculidae

More in Parrots

Guides for this bird

Meet the Psittaculidae

A field guide to the Psittaculidae family — 202 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.

1 min read

Back to top