Cute, but environmentally damaging parrots spotted in Titirangi, West Auckland

Sunday, 4 August 2019

These rainbow lorikeets spotted in Titirangi may look cute, but they pose devastating consequences for the fruit and wine industries and New Zealand's native birds.

Authorities are investigating an environmentally threatening species of parrot, following sightings in West Auckland.

The Department of Conservation (DOC) said it and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) were on the look out for wild rainbow lorikeet in Titirangi. The birds are thought to have been released illegally.

The colourful birds, which pose a threat to native birds and the fruit and wine industries, are classified as an unwanted organism under the Biosecurity Act 1993. Anyone found responsible of releasing the birds into the wild could face 'heavy penalties'.

At least two pairs of wild rainbow lorikeets have been confirmed in Titirangi, DOC biodiversity supervisor Art Polkanov said.

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'Six or more' had also been reported. A pest control expert has been contracted to established to confirm these numbers and remove the population, focusing on live capture.

'The contractor will find out where these birds are feeding and roosting. We will then develop a plan to remove Titirangi's wild population of rainbow lorikeets,' Polkanov said.

They share a food source with native birds, including the tui and korimako, and nest and roost sites with kākā, kākāriki and short and long tailed bats.

Avian diseases carried by the parrots could also threaten the health of declining native bird species. The birds are also known to damage apple, grapes and other soft fruits.

Pet rainbow lorikeets were introduced to New Zealand from Australia, but 'significant numbers' were 'illegally and deliberately' released in Auckland in the 1990s.

A feral population of about 150 to 200 birds proved the birds could survive in the New Zealand environment by dominating the habitats of native birds.

Rainbow lorikeets can be kept as pets in secure cages. In Auckland, DOC can put identification bands on pets for free, so any escapees can be reunited with their owners. Unwanted birds can be surrendered to bird rescues or DOC offices.

Anyone who spots a rainbow lorikeet in the wild should take a photo, note the location, time, date and whether the bird was flying, feeding or sitting in a tree, and then phone 0800 36 24 68.

The parrots are not the only birds currently being removed from Titirangi. In July a decision was made by the local board to remove the village's famed wild chicken population to combat a rat infestation.