Kea
Nestor notabilis
Distribution:
New Zealand's South Island
Habitat:
Alpine forests, coastal forests.
Diet:
Nuts, seeds, pollen, fruit, larvae, insects, snails, smaller birds, mammals (roadkill, etc).
Gestation:
Three - five eggs laid, incubated for 20 - 30 days.
General:
Kea are unique to the Southern Alps and are the worlds only true alpine parrot. They are also one of the world’s most intelligent animal! Kea are very social – they love to play, are very inquisitive and like to investigate new things.
Distinguishing features of a kea include general olive-green colour with orange-red underwings. The male's beak is more curved than the female's. Like most parrots they walk with deliberate, waddling stride; jumping when in a hurry. Kea fly low and fast through bush, high when travelling far.
Threats to the kea include lead poisoning, 1080 poisoning, human persecution and predation by introduced pests.
To find out how you can help conserve kea in the wild, go to www.keaconservation.co.nz.
At Hamilton Zoo:
We have three Kea, Tane, Ahi and Ariki. Ahi is our only girl, and is easily identified as she is the smallest of the three. She is often found perched on one of the higher perches.
Female:
Ahi - 8/9/97
Males:
Tane - 8/8/93
Ariki - 13/8/09