
Evidence for assortative mating in sympatric populations of orange-fronted (Cyanoramphus malherbi) and yellow-crowned (C. auriceps) kākāriki
Title | Evidence for assortative mating in sympatric populations of orange-fronted (Cyanoramphus malherbi) and yellow-crowned (C. auriceps) kākāriki |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2015 |
Authors | Kearvell, JC, Steeves, TE |
Journal | Notornis |
Volume | 62 |
Issue | 2 |
Pagination | 71-75 |
Type of Article | Full Article |
Keywords | assortative mating, conservation, Cyanoramphus, parakeet, translocation |
Abstract | The remnant wild populations of the critically endangered orange-fronted kākāriki (Cyanoramphus malherbi) are restricted to 3 North Canterbury valleys where they co-occur with the yellow-crowned kākāriki (C. auriceps). Mixed pairs of Cyanoramphus kākāriki species have been documented throughout the genus, but the extent to which orange-fronted and yellow-crowned kākāriki mate assortatively, particularly when one species outnumbers the other, remains unclear. Here, we investigate the level of assortative mating between orange-fronted and yellow-crowned kākāriki. Based on 355 confirmed nests during 1999-2011, 99% (n = 351) were pure pairings and 1% (n = 4) were mixed pairings. With one exception, the ratio of orange-fronted to yellow-crowned kākāriki encountered during annual surveys ranged between zero and 0.78. These results indicate that the 2 congeners exhibit assortative mating, even when the orange-fronted kākāriki is outnumbered by yellow-crowned kākāriki. The low levels of mixed pairing we observed suggests that the reintroduction of orange-fronted kākāriki should not be precluded to sites where yellow-crowned kākāriki already occur. |
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