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Relevance: GS Paper III — Biodiversity, Conservation, Invasive Species Source: Isaac Conservation Trust / press reports, June 2026

1 · What happened

Two critically endangered orange-fronted parakeets — Nacho and Trixie — housed at the Isaac Conservation and Wildlife Trust, Christchurch (New Zealand), have produced 55 chicks in two years. This single pair has lifted the entire global population by more than 10%.

Only about 450 birds of the species (Cyanoramphus malherbi, locally called kākāriki karaka) survive in the wild and in captivity combined. The bird was declared extinct twice — in 1919 and 1965 — and rediscovered later in remote South Island valleys. Captive breeding began in 2003 and is now run in partnership with the Māori tribe Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.

Image : The Parakeet Pair

2 · Why island birds are so fragile — and how we save them

Island biogeography: Long isolation produces highly endemic species (flightless birds, ground nesters) that evolved without mammalian predators. The arrival of even one invasive predator can collapse the population — making ex-situ + in-situ recovery essential.

The Species Anchor
Kākāriki karaka
Cyanoramphus malherbi. Critically Endangered (IUCN). Endemic to alpine beech forests of South Island. Nests in tree cavities — easy prey for climbing predators.
Conservation Recovery
Ex-situ + In-situ synergy
Wild eggs reared in captivity; chicks released into predator-free fenced sanctuaries and offshore islands. 5 wild populations now; target 10 within two decades.
The Crucial Mechanism
Beech “masting” cycle
Every few years beech trees release seeds in huge synchronised pulses (masting). This triggers a rodent population boom, which devastates parakeet eggs and chicks.
The Root Threat
Invasive Alien Species (IAS)
Human-introduced rats, stoats, ferrets, possums raid nests. Add habitat degradation, disease and climate change — and a defenceless endemic species nearly disappears.

  • Endemism statistic: New Zealand has 206 breeding bird species; 94 are endemic. Long isolation produced unique traits like flightlessness in the kiwi and kakapo.
  • India parallels: Captive breeding of the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) at Desert National Park, Rajasthan; the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme in Assam reintroducing animals to the wild.
  • Community integration: Just as the Ngāi Tahu Māori partner conservation, India embeds forest-dwellers under the Forest Rights Act, 2006 — e.g., Maldharis of Gir, Baigas of Kanha.

UPSC Value Box
Ex-situ Conservation Protection of species outside their natural habitat — zoos, captive breeding centres, seed banks, gene banks, botanical gardens.
In-situ Conservation Protection of species within their natural habitat — National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Biosphere Reserves, Conservation/Community Reserves.
IUCN Red List Maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Categories (worst to best): EX, EW, CR, EN, VU, NT, LC, DD, NE.
CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Appendix I = trade banned; Appendix II = trade regulated; Appendix III = trade controlled at request of a single country.
Kunming-Montreal GBF (2022) Adopted at CBD COP-15. The “30×30” framework with 23 action targets; Target 6 specifically deals with control and eradication of Invasive Alien Species.
Beech Masting Synchronous heavy seed production by beech trees once every few years; in New Zealand, masting triggers rodent booms that prey on native chicks.
Great Indian Bustard (GIB) Critically Endangered; captive breeding at Desert National Park, Rajasthan; main threats — power line collisions, habitat loss.
Pygmy Hog Programme India’s longest-running mammal recovery programme; captive bred in Assam and reintroduced into Manas tiger reserve grasslands.

MCQ Practice Question
Q. With reference to species conservation, consider the following statements:

  1. The orange-fronted parakeet (kākāriki karaka) is endemic to the alpine beech forests of New Zealand’s South Island and is currently listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
  2. Ex-situ conservation refers to protecting species within their natural habitats through protected areas, while in-situ conservation involves breeding species in captive facilities such as zoos, seed banks and gene banks.
  3. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted in 2022, specifically addresses the control and eradication of Invasive Alien Species as one of its action targets.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only    (b) 2 and 3 only    (c) 1 and 3 only    (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only

  • Statement 1 — Correct: Cyanoramphus malherbi is endemic to South Island’s alpine beech forests and ranked Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, with a population of only ~450 in the wild and captivity combined.
  • Statement 2 — Incorrect (the trap): The definitions are swapped. Ex-situ = outside the natural habitat (zoos, seed banks, captive breeding). In-situ = inside the natural habitat (national parks, sanctuaries). Memory tip: ex = exit / outside; in = inside.
  • Statement 3 — Correct: The Kunming-Montreal GBF (2022) adopted at CBD COP-15 contains 23 action targets; Target 6 calls for managing pathways of introduction and reducing the establishment of Invasive Alien Species by at least 50% by 2030.

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