Nestorini
A genus of large parrots with hair-fringed tongues.
Nestorini is a proposed grouping within the parrot superfamily Strigopoidea that would contain only the genus Nestor. This genus includes two living species from New Zealand—the kea and the kākā—along with two extinct species, one from Norfolk Island, Australia, and another from Chatham Island, New Zealand. Members of the genus are large, stocky birds with short, square tails. Their tongues end in a hair-like fringe, a feature that looks similar to the tongues of lorikeets. Because of this resemblance, some taxonomists once thought the two groups were closely related, but DNA analysis has since shown they are not.
- extant_species
- 2
- extinct_species
- 2
- known_for
- Large stocky parrots with hair-fringed tongues
- distribution
- New Zealand, Norfolk Island (Australia), Chatham Island (New Zealand)
- family_placement
- Strigopidae (genus Nestor)
Lore & Background
All four species in the genus Nestor are thought to stem from a 'proto-kākā' dwelling in the forests of New Zealand 5 million years ago. The closest living relative of the genus is the kākāpō (Strigops habroptilus). Together, they form the superfamily Strigopoidea, an ancient group that split off from all other Psittaciformes before their radiation. In 2012 Leo Joseph and collaborators proposed that the genus Nestor should be placed in its own family, Nestoridae, but this proposal has not been adopted in lists of the world birds; instead Nestor is placed with the genus Strigops in the family Strigopidae.
Reader's Guide
The genus Nestor is significant as one of only two extant genera in the parrot family Strigopidae, representing an ancient lineage that diverged before the radiation of all other parrots. Its two surviving species—the kea and the kākā—are endemic to New Zealand and face conservation challenges: the mainland kākā is listed as endangered, and the kea as vulnerable. The two extinct species, the Norfolk kākā and the Chatham kākā, disappeared in recent history; the last Norfolk kākā died in captivity in London after 1851, and the Chatham kākā became extinct in pre-European times after Polynesians arrived at the island, between 1550 and 1700. The genus is also notable for its distinctive tongue, which has a hair-like fringe, a feature that once caused taxonomic confusion with lorikeets but has been clarified by DNA evidence. The proposal to elevate Nestor to its own family, Nestoridae, remains unresolved in standard bird lists.
Did You Know?
- The genus Nestor contains two extant species from New Zealand and two extinct species from Norfolk Island and Chatham Island.
- All species in the genus have a tongue tipped with a hair-like fringe.
- The closest living relative of the genus is the kākāpō (Strigops habroptilus).
- The last known Norfolk kākā died in captivity in London sometime after 1851.
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