The amazing and controversial Kea parrot is endemic to New Zealand. See what "Kea" is in other dictionaries Predatory parrots kea
The kea parrot belongs to the order of smart and intelligent parrots, capable of performing meaningful and deliberate actions. They received this name due to the constant cries of “kea” heard over hundreds of meters. It is rather a bird of prey, prone to aggressive behavior: it is capable of attacking a person holding his favorite delicacy in his hands. Therefore, before acquiring a parrot of this species, you need to carefully weigh everything, and besides, this kind of purchase is far from cheap.
Habitats
Unlike the bulk of parrots, which survive only in tropical climates, kea live in the mountains of New Zealand at an altitude of up to 2000 meters above sea level. While other representatives of the parrot genus of the southern regions enjoy the hot days of July, kea lead a normal life during this period of the year in harsh snowy conditions. Rain, fog, cold are not a problem for them, but rather a familiar pattern.
The parrot can most often be seen sitting on the rocks of the mountains, shouting its favorite phrase. He is most active in the evening hours, going for food or for a walk.
Appearance Features
Even the appearance of the kea characterizes it as a predator: a menacing look, combined with a powerful, strongly curved beak and olive-green plumage, can make a lasting impression. But when the parrot spreads its wings for free flight, bright red feathers can be seen underneath them, diluting the gloomy appearance.
The weight of an adult kea can reach one kilogram, and the body length can be 50 cm. Having a fairly powerful body structure, an adult parrot can fly unhindered, rising above the forest cover even in the most severe cold and wind.
The paws are gray in color, and powerful claws allow them to cling to the bark of trees and quickly climb to their very top. 
Life and reproduction in captivity
Keas are cheerful and mischievous chicks with a restless character; they can live in captivity for about 50 years. When deciding to get such a pet, it is worth keeping in mind that parrots of this species often behave like uncontrollable hooligans. By releasing a bird from its cage and leaving it unattended for just a few minutes, you can be sure that it will create a complete mess in the house, scattering small things from open nightstands, tearing apart a loose backpack and committing several other minor mischief. And all because of excessive curiosity and increased activity.
But such shortcomings do not prevent the kea from making friends with its owner and becoming a true friend for him. The parrot, thanks to its cheerful disposition and sharp mind, can constantly surprise and enchant with new admirable antics.
Great hopes are placed on organizations involved in breeding rare bird species, since kea are on the verge of extinction. It is worth mentioning separately the Cincinnati Zoo, which has achieved incredible success in the field of breeding kea chicks, although this cost incredible effort for its staff.
Kea parrots are predatory sheep hunters
Since 1865, kea parrots have been nicknamed sheep hunters. Initially, parrots visited sheep farmers in search of food: they pecked meat and fat from the skins of slaughtered animals. Later, kea began to attack small sheep on their own. But this does not apply to all birds, but only to some of them.
Because of this, kea became fierce enemies for sheep farmers, who eventually began to shoot the birds to protect their own animals. In 1970, the government banned the killing of endangered birds, compensating farmers for losses incurred due to predator attacks. The government took the right step to prevent the complete extinction of the species.
If you want to meet one of the smartest birds on the planet, you need to visit a ski resort on the South Island in New Zealand. Only there live kea parrots - witty birds, big pranksters and serious predators.
When it comes to kea parrots, many only have associations with killing sheep. Few people can tell you more about these mountain predators. But we will try to introduce you better to these intellectual hooligans.
The scientific name of parrots is Nestor notabilis, which is why they are also called Nestors. But kea is a more popular name. The sounds that these parrots make are very similar to the drawn-out “keeeaa”, so ornithologists like to joke that the bird chose its name itself.
Habitat
Kea live in the highlands of the South Island in New Zealand. Constant winds blow here, there is frequent fog, and in winter there is snow.
They are the only parrots capable of surviving and breeding at altitudes greater than 1,500 m above sea level.
Birds make shelters in rocks, at a depth of 1 to 5 meters.
Keas prefer beech forests and steep valleys, alpine meadows, bushland and suburbs where locals and tourists live. They love to “visit” people, annoying tourists in campsites and ski lodges.
In the summer season, kea are more active at night. These are flocking birds that love strong winds and demonstrate acrobatic tricks in flight.
Characteristics of kea parrots
The nests are olive-colored with a green-brown tint, the plumage under the wings and rump is red-orange. The wing feathers are decorated with blue stripes. In flight, the birds are very beautiful: previously invisible shades and colors flash when the kea spreads its wings.
Their legs are gray, the wax and iris of the eyes are almost black.
The kea is the size of a large crow: body length is about 47 cm, weight ranges from 700 to 1000 grams, wingspan is 90 cm. Life expectancy is about 15 years.
Kea reach puberty at 3 years of age. The breeding season is from July to January. Before nesting, females spend two years building and preparing the nest themselves. It is found in rock cavities or burrows, and its depth reaches 7 m.
A reliable shelter structure can reduce the mortality of chicks. The clutch contains from 2 to 4 snow-white eggs. The female incubates them for 21 days. The bird does not leave the nest; the male provides food for the entire family. After two months, the female leaves the nest, leaving the male to feed the offspring. The chicks leave their home after 70 days.
During the mating season, a male can have up to 4 partners at the same time, and he takes care of each of them.
It is difficult to distinguish a female from a male; the external difference between birds is only in size - the female is slightly smaller.
Kea Abilities
The curved beak of a dark gray color successfully replaces the tools of a burglar-repairer for these smart birds. With its help, kea can easily cope with car tires and windshield wipers, break locks and tear apart the property of tourists left unattended. The high intelligence of birds allows them to organize attacks and knock food out of people's hands.
Kea are extremely curious and thieving. When they get to them, the thing is torn or taken apart, and the parts are carried away into the rocks, where these scoundrels keep their “treasures.”
Local residents have a real training in ingenuity: people have been trying for years to invent a garbage container that these smart birds could not open and knock over.
Kea - sheep killers
Of course, before the concerns of local residents were somewhat different. But from those times came the legend of the kea-sheep killers.
At first, the main menu of parrots was simple, since in winter in harsh latitudes you don’t have to go through too much and be squeamish.
Nestors are non-migratory birds and they sought food for themselves at different altitudes, but sticking to the same territory. Kea diet: hard roots, tubers, seeds, insects, worms, plants, flowers, flower nectar and fruits.
Interestingly, when eating a flower of a plant, the stem or root of the bird is already eating from another type of grass. Keas are selective about which parts of plants are worth eating and which parts they find unpalatable.
Meat was not the natural and main food for parrots. But after Europeans arrived in New Zealand and brought cattle with them, everything changed.
In winter, the diet of kea is meager and the birds, having accidentally tasted the meat, did not refuse the opportunity to feast on it in the future. At first these were lost and dead sheep or their remains that could be found near farms. Then the nestors, during hungry wintering periods, got used to getting meat on their own.
This “hunt” did not cause irreparable damage to farmers, but if people found a dead sheep, they blamed the kea parrots for the death of the animal. Especially if there were already traces of birds on the livestock.
No one thought that only one or two of the oldest birds from the flock were attackers, while the rest only fed on prey. But this was enough for the real persecution of kea to begin. Over almost a century and a half, about 130 thousand birds were exterminated.
Cruel hunting has threatened the extinction of the entire species of these parrots.
Even after the Kea Parrot Protection Act was passed in 1970, persecution of the birds continued for another 16 years. Only thanks to the fact that the government began to compensate farmers for lost livestock, the extermination of kea stopped.
Today there are only a few thousand Nestors left, and now people are trying in every possible way to protect this species of parrots from complete extinction.
How kea attacked sheep: the bird sat in the grass in the meadow where the herd was grazing. Then, suddenly, she jumped up and threw herself on the animal’s back. Pecking at the subcutaneous fat, the kea tried to stay on the sheep, which was running headlong from pain and fear. Everything ended in the death of the animal: exhaustion, abyss, fractures. The wound was quite large, about 10 cm, and therefore, even if the sheep was saved, it later died from the consequences of the wound.
Intellectual hooligans
Today nestors are one of the reasons for the popularity of ski resorts in New Zealand. Local residents tolerate them and have learned to coexist with the birds as peacefully as possible. A set of rules has been written for tourists, which states the prohibition of hand-feeding kea and responsibility for their property.
Having accustomed parrots to food, the birds become so insolent that it is enough to go out with a package in your hands, and you will become a victim of an attack by feathered hooligans. They will take away the food and act as if you brought it for them.
Kea are very playful and cocky, in addition to the pleasures of shaking garbage out of containers, they happily swim in puddles, swing in the snow and slide off roofs like snowboarding, which is quite a funny sight.
The intellectual abilities of kea continue to amaze people. As we tried to study them more closely, we came to the conclusion that birds are good at solving puzzles, solving tricky problems, and being able to work in an organized manner.
Since they are exceptionally good at playing pranks, their work consists of incredible pranks to amuse tourists. Nowadays people call kea parrots “the clowns of the mountains” because they can replace all entertainment.
Local residents love to tell stories about kea: while waiting for the owners to leave the house, the birds broke in and tore all the bedding and turned the room upside down. Others saw a flock of kea sitting to the side and watching as one of the parrots gave a sign, and as soon as the person stepped onto the porch, the others shook snow off the poor thing's head. Everything was accompanied by noisy fun from the hooligans.
Trying to get attention, kea may bring a hazelnut and, tugging at your pant leg, demand that you crack the treat.
If you take a closer look at the kea gang, it will become clear that not all of them are instigators and hooligans, but only two or three birds, the rest either watch, incite and take advantage of the consequences of the “dared souls”. It’s not for nothing that zoologists describe kea as strong-willed, brave, cunning and resourceful.
Nestors are recognized as one of the smartest birds in the world.
Many incredible stories are associated with these mischievous people. And after listening to even one of them, there is a desire to personally meet such an intellectual resident of the north.
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Mistress of the revolutionary instigator Gavroche and the timid “bull in a china shop” Marshal.
Keas are predatory parrots that hunt sheepKeas are predatory parrots that hunt sheep
Kea parrots live in the mountains of New Zealand, above the forest belt. These parrots live in flocks. The nests are reliably protected from bad weather, each of them contains 4 eggs.
Accustomed to humans and extremely curious, the birds sometimes damage cars, their awnings and cabins in search of leftover food; They are attracted to garbage dumps and waste containers, and often dump the contents on the ground.
There are known cases of kea “attacking” people’s cars, the reason for which, again, is the desire to find something edible in the car’s interior. In addition, parrots may be interested in the contents of the backpack of tourists traveling in the habitats of these birds. Despite this, kea parrots still attract people who enjoy watching the birds play, tumbling in the snow or wallowing in freshly thawed puddles.
Small in size, slightly larger than a crow, the kea parrot (Nestor notabilis), usually found in the mountains and forests of New Zealand, is capable of killing an entire sheep. Usually kea feed on dead sheep in winter, but it happens that one or two parrots from a flock attack living sheep. These individuals are called “sheep killers” by shepherds. Parrots sit on the ground next to a potential victim, and then suddenly jump on its back and begin to peck out pieces of subcutaneous fat from it. Sometimes the kea does not immediately manage to cling to the sheep’s skin: the victim, resisting, tries to throw off the bloodthirsty bird. It rarely happens when a sheep is finally freed from the scourge of a kea; most often, animals attacked by the bird die from their wounds and become food for the rest of the parrots from the flock. The whole flock uses the prey. But mainly kea feed on insects and their larvae, worms, and fruits.
Previously, before the arrival of Europeans, there were no mammals in New Zealand, except for one species of rat and one species of bat. This means that kea did not know the taste of mammalian meat until that time. But due to a lack of other food (worms and insects), the parrots began to hunt sheep. Using their powerful claws and beaks, originally designed only for climbing tree bark, these birds began to tear open the animals' wounds. This phenomenon is called pre-adaptation, when embedded adaptations perform new functions.
Kea is forced to hunt sheep by the lack of other food (worms and insects) that this type of parrot usually feeds on.
Often, when shepherds find a dead sheep, they attribute its death to the bird. Because of this, kea parrots were exterminated for a long time. In fact, kea hunt sheep very rarely, and the death of sheep from attacks by predatory parrots is a very negligible percentage. People were persuaded to stop killing the birds in 1986, and the now endangered kea are now protected.
Another exceptional feature of these birds is that kea are the only parrots that live and breed at an altitude of 1500 m above sea level.
Text: Sofia Demyanets
An endangered species. It has been protected since 1970. In 1986, farmers were persuaded to stop killing kea in exchange for government cash compensation. Estimates of the entire population vary widely, from 1000-5000 to 15,000, and due to their concentration around human habitation the likelihood of inaccurate estimates is quite high. The species is listed in Appendix 2 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and in the International Red Book.
Kea parrots live in New Zealand. Accustomed to humans and extremely curious, the birds sometimes damage cars, their awnings and cabins in search of leftover food; they are attracted to garbage dumps and waste containers, and often dump the contents on the ground; very playful, they love to tumble in the snow or take baths in freshly thawed puddles.
These birds can feed on carrion or attack live sheep. The parrot uses a cunning tactic: it sits on the ground near the victim and then suddenly jumps on its back and pecks out pieces of subcutaneous fat, causing a large wound to the sheep. If the sheep throws him off with a sudden movement, he tries again. The ending of this story is usually sad: the sheep runs with the “rider” on its back until such running leads to its death, and even if the animal manages to get rid of the annoying bird, later it still gets sick or dies due to the wound it received. It also happens that a sheep driven by a parrot falls off the cliffs and is broken. And then flocks of kea instantly flock to the carcass.
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Kea is an exceptional parrot
You can find out the name of the bird from it itself: kee-aa, kee-a. The parrot has not yet learned to pronounce the scientific combination Nestor notabilis because no one has given him this task.
Ornithologists call an exception to the rule a bird that is not similar to its African or South American counterparts.
Kea parrot, aka Nestor, is famous locally for his hooligan behavior and impudent disposition. But the bad guy is valued for his intelligence and is protected as an object of the Red Book.
Features and habitat of kea
New Zealand is an exceptional place on earth where the unusual kea parrots live.
They chose the snow-capped mountains of the South Island, which are home to thick fog, icy winds, and blankets of snow in winter. The forest belt and the human world, which so attracts birds, are located much lower.
Local residents almost killed the bird family for encroaching on. The extermination was rewarded with bonuses from the authorities.
Up to 15,000 individuals were destroyed. Ancient kea or kaka parrots, similar to his brother, were the last ones left in the Nestor tribe.
You cannot immediately discern the bright colors inherent in other parrots in the bird. The main color is green, transitioning from a densely dark, grayish tint to an olive, richly herbal tint.
From a distance, parrots appear inconspicuous, dark, with a purple sheen. But in flight, all the colors of the plumage are revealed: below they are fiery, red-orange, as if engulfed in fire.
Kea parrot size less than 50 cm, weight up to 1 kg. The main feature is the strongly curved powerful beak and claws, which are comparable to tools for breaking into any safes.
Nature has endowed kea with the ability to climb gorges and forage at an altitude of 1500 m above sea level.
The intelligence of birds has made it possible to use beak and claws where it is not hunger that rules instincts, but curiosity, thirst for profit and cunning.
Parrots fly even in strong winds on the eve of a storm; the strength of their wings allows them to be aerial acrobats at high altitudes.
Steep slopes, ski resorts, alpine meadows and beech forests are favorite places for birds. Kea parrot, generic name Nestor is the only aerial daredevil who climbed the snow-capped mountains.
Character and lifestyle of the kea parrot
The nature of the birds is very lively, active and cocky. They live in groups of 10-13 individuals. Always noisy, loud and pushy in search of food.
They move in flocks in local habitat heights, without leaving inhabited areas. Their burrows are in rocky crevices up to 5-7 m deep.
They are not afraid of a person; in his presence they begin to examine the contents of cars and luggage. It is dangerous to approach the bird or pick it up: the kea’s beak can cause serious wounds.
But it is always interesting to observe the behavior of parrots. They are playful, like clowns, charismatic and merciless.
The houses of tourists or local residents attract predators with open windows. Thieves gut and steal everything: clothes, jewelry, small items and, of course, everything edible.
The peculiarity of birds is manifested in the desire to open everything and divide it into parts. The travelers watched Kea parrots dismantle the car: they tear off the mirrors, remove the wipers and rubber seals, tires, and knock out the door lock with their beak.
At night, activity increases. Researchers will definitely use a backpack or trash container forgotten on the street.
No lock has yet been invented for the kea that it cannot handle. Swimming in cold puddles or tumbling in the snow, sliding down sloping roofs as if from a slide are the most harmless entertainments for birds.
The abilities of parrots are manifested in the ability to snatch food from hands, eat any shoes, or create hooligan mayhem in the interior of a car.
One day they were caught deliberately throwing snow from the roof onto the heads of people leaving the house.
At the same time, the birds behaved in an organized manner: some gave signals, others worked, and then everyone made noise with delight. Manifestations of ingenuity and coordinated actions reflect the intelligence of extraordinary birds.
Kea can bring a hazelnut to a person and, tugging at his clothes, demand that the shell be cracked. Can't share the treat!
The most active birds are the ringleaders or provocateurs. The rest are in the crowd, supporting and enjoying the results of the hunt.
Kea parrot feeding
Parrots are practically omnivorous. The diet is based on plant foods: roots, leaves, fruits, twigs, berries, nuts, tubers, seeds, fruits and flower nectar.
Knows what tastes best and, when given a choice, is selective. It takes out animal food from under stones and finds it among meadow plants. Kea parrot hunting for worms, insects, larvae.
The arrival of settlers attracted birds to food waste and dead sheep. Feeding on carrion prompted the parrots to hunt live livestock, for which they received the nickname “sheep killers” and almost paid off the entire bird tribe.
The attacks took place according to one scenario: first, 1-2 parrots sat on the back of the victim and firmly clung to the skin with their claws.
The sheep tried to throw off the rider, but even if it succeeded, the kea persistently repeated the attack. The predator pecked out a large wound up to 10 cm and brought the animal to exhaustion and fall.
The flock then used the prey. It is unknown how many sheep died, but examples of such bloodthirstiness prompted people to destroy parrots.
They attributed all the fallen sheep with traces of parrots feasting, without understanding when the birds found the victim.
Parrots begin to obtain meat in conditions of severe food shortage, in the absence of other sources, in winter and spring, and not all birds are capable of pecking at live wounds. Only the intervention of zoologists in the extermination process saved the kea genus from persecution and death.
Reproduction and lifespan of kea
Birds become sexually mature at 3 years of age. Kea parrot is smart and practical in family matters. It does not build nests, but finds convenient rock crevices for laying eggs.
The female is engaged in arranging such shelters long before laying eggs. Various twigs and warm moss accumulate in a secluded place for 1-2 years.
The breeding season lasts approximately from January to July. There are usually 4-6 white eggs in a clutch. Hatching lasts up to 3 weeks. The male takes care of the female, and later of the chicks that appear.
Feeding of the offspring first occurs jointly, and after 2 months the female leaves the chicks. Only the male visits the chicks until they leave the nest at the age of 70 days.
A male under his care can have up to 4 nests. The survival rate of offspring is high due to inaccessibility to other predators and reliable shelter from bad weather.
Life expectancy in natural conditions is from 5 to 15 years. In captivity, parrots quickly adapt and live 1.5-2 times longer. There is a known long-liver who almost reached 50 years of age.
There are always people willing buy a kea parrot, as it has become a tourist attraction.
He is forgiven for all his pranks, like the pranks of his beloved children, for his interest and affection for the person.
