Cyanoramphus auriceps
Silhouette: Farelli (photo), John E. McCormack, Michael G. Harvey, Brant C. Faircloth, Nicholas G. Crawford, Travis C. Glenn, Robb T. Brumfield & T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The yellow-crowned parakeet (Cyanoramphus auriceps) also known as the yellow-fronted parakeet is a species of parakeet endemic to the islands of New Zealand. The species is found across the main three islands of New Zealand, North Island, South Island and Stewart Island/Rakiura, as well as on the subantarctic Auckland Islands. It has declined due to predation from introduced species such as stoats, although unlike the red-crowned parakeet, it has not been extirpated from the mainland of New Zealand. Its Māori name is kākāriki.
The yellow-crowned parakeet was once widely distributed across all of New Zealand, both the main islands and the outlying ones. However, due to both the aforementioned introduced mammals and human destruction of habitat, these parakeets have become much scarcer in the last few decades. While uncommon, they are still the most common parakeet in New Zealand.
This species was first described by Heinrich Kuhl in 1820 and originally named Psittacus auriceps. Yellow-crowned parakeets are 23 cm long and primarily bright green. They have a red band fronting their eponymous golden crown. Their wings, when spread in flight... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Arthur's Pass National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 4 | Abel Tasman National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orana Wildlife Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Hamilton Zoo | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 4 | Auckland Zoo | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 5 | Tierpark Röhrensee | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 6 | Willowbank Wildlife Reserve | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 7 | Kiwi Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 8 | Ōtorohanga Kiwi House | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 9 | Te Anau Bird Sanctuary | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-crowned Parakeet sighting in Abel Tasman National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 66th most-seen of the 69 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-crowned Parakeet in Abel Tasman National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to July, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Yellow-crowned Parakeet sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Yellow-crowned Parakeet sightings, Abel Tasman National Park ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Rakiura National Park (New Zealand, about 30%), Arthur's Pass National Park (New Zealand, about 20%) and Fiordland National Park (New Zealand, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Yellow-crowned Parakeet is recorded against all the birds logged in Abel Tasman National Park (7 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
