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New Zealand’s Kea: 8 things you probably didn’t know about these highly intelligent Mountain Parrots

Source: Reddit/CountrymanR60

Researchers around the world are doing some great fun experiments that kea—the world’s only true alpine parrots—really enjoy doing. Check out how clever these beautiful birds are for yourselves.

Did you know alpine parrots were even a thing? Well they are, and they’re fascinating!

The kea (Nestor notabilis), is a native New Zealand bird also known as the New Zealand mountain parrot — the only true alpine parrot in the world — and they are currently an endangered species.

The kea is a large parrot with mainly olive-green feathers, deepening to a teal blue on the wingtips. On the underside of the wings and the base of the tail the features are a reddish-orange. Female kea are slightly smaller than males and have shorter beaks.

Wild Kea live only in the South Island of New Zealand, most commonly in or near alpine areas, although they can sometimes be found in coastal regions. They are often seen at South Island ski-fields and mountain huts.

They usually nest in native forest, laying their eggs on the ground or in crevices, but will travel to look for food. Kea mate for life and the male will look after the female and his new babies by bringing food back to the nest.

Kea are omnivorous and eat a wide range of plant and animal food, including;

  • Tree and plant material like leaves, nectar, fruit, roots and seeds
  • Bugs and larvae that they dig out of the ground or rotten logs
  • Other animals, including baby birds of other species like shearwaters, or scavenge deer and sheep carcasses

Kea are incredibly intelligent birds. They learn impressive foraging skills from their parents and other older birds, and become very skilled with their beaks and claws. As their environment has changed, kea have learned to adapt. Hunters, farmers and hikers all have stories of watching kea learn to get into doors and windows or undo their packs to steal food! They’re also notorious for attacking cars if they get the chance – yanking on aerials and pecking at the rubber around car doors.

Kea are famously curious and love to experience new things and solve puzzles. A recent study about Kea intelligence showed how these clever birds can work in teams to achieve their goals. (Video below)

Young kea hang out in gangs until they start mating. They are also very playful – you can watch them playing with each other, and even playing practical jokes on humans. These fun-loving birds will swoop down to steal people’s belongings, or throw stones at them! Scroll down for photos, video and 8 fascinating facts about these amazing, intelligent birds.

Source: MilfordSound.nz

Their name in Maori is onomatopoeic, referring to their loud, high-pitched call of ‘keee-aaa’. This isn’t the only noise they make, though – they also talk more quietly to each other, and juveniles make all kinds of squeals and hollers, depending on what message they want to get across to each other.
1. “Keee-aaa!” Their name in Maori is onomatopoeic, referring to their loud, high-pitched call of ‘keee-aaa’. This isn’t the only noise they make, though – they also talk more quietly to each other, and juveniles make all kinds of squeals and hollers, depending on what message they want to get across to each other. Source: Wilderlife.nz
The kea is a parrot and like all parrots it has 4 toes on each foot – two that point forward and two that point backward (zygodactyl). This allows it to easily manipulate objects (more like having hands than feet), and move around in the trees and on the ground.
2. Kea talons The kea is a parrot and like all parrots it has 4 toes on each foot – two that point forward and two that point backward (zygodactyl). This allows it to easily manipulate objects (more like having hands than feet), and move around in the trees and on the ground. Source: milford-sound.co.nz
The kea’s plumage (feathers) is generally an olive – emerald green edged with black and bright orange and barred yellow and black feathers are normally hidden on the underside of its wings. You wouldn’t know it to look at a a kea but the orange feathers can also be seen in the UV spectrum – light waves that we humans cant see in but many birds and insects can. Other colours on the kea include a beautiful royal blue on the top surface of each wings long flight feathers and red/orange on the rump (tail) feathers.
3. That Plumage! The kea’s plumage (feathers) is generally an olive – emerald green edged with black and bright orange and barred yellow and black feathers are normally hidden on the underside of its wings. You wouldn’t know it to look at a a kea but the orange feathers can also be seen in the UV spectrum – light waves that we humans cant see in but many birds and insects can. Other colours on the kea include a beautiful royal blue on the top surface of each wings long flight feathers and red/orange on the rump (tail) feathers. Source: Reddit/CountrymanR60
The kea’s beak is long and gracefully curved. The males beak may be around 4.5 – 5 cms long and the females is somewhat smaller (4 -4.5cm). The kea’s beak is very different shape to its cousin the kaka’s beak which is much thicker and shorter. This is because of the different foods that each of these parrots eat – kea dig grubs from rotten logs and roots from the ground (digging and manipulating tool) while the kaka cracks open hard seeds, nuts and digs at logs (a nut cracker!).
4. The Kea’s Swiss Army Beak The kea’s beak is long and gracefully curved. The males beak may be around 4.5 – 5 cms long and the females is somewhat smaller (4 -4.5cm). The kea’s beak is very different shape to its cousin the kaka’s beak which is much thicker and shorter. This is because of the different foods that each of these parrots eat – kea dig grubs from rotten logs and roots from the ground (digging and manipulating tool) while the kaka cracks open hard seeds, nuts and digs at logs (a nut cracker!). Source: wilderlife.nz
Kea are thought to be VERY clever! Some scientists even think that they might be as smart as a 4 year old child! Thats pretty smart. There are researchers around the world that are doing some great fun experiments that kea appear to really enjoy doing. The oldest known captive kea lived to be 50 years old, so this inquisitive little one has a long life of ahead.
5. Kea are clever. Kea are thought to be VERY clever! Some scientists even think that they might be as smart as a 4 year old child! Thats pretty smart. There are researchers around the world that are doing some great fun experiments that kea appear to really enjoy doing. The oldest known captive kea lived to be 50 years old, so this inquisitive little one has a long life of ahead. Source: Pinterest.nz
Wild kea exist only in the South Island of New Zealand in and around the alpine areas. They nest in the beech forests at sea level on the West Coast of the South Island, in the mountain forests along the Southern Alps (as far north as Kahurangi National Park and as far south as Fiordland) and are also in the mountains as far east as Kaikoura.
6. Where they live. Wild kea exist only in the South Island of New Zealand in and around the alpine areas. They nest in the beech forests at sea level on the West Coast of the South Island, in the mountain forests along the Southern Alps (as far north as Kahurangi National Park and as far south as Fiordland) and are also in the mountains as far east as Kaikoura. Source: Reddit/commonvanilla
Kea which have formed pair bonds ( breeding male and female) hold a territory (an area for themselves that no other kea pairs can live in – a bit like peoples homes and property the house sits on) of about 4kms2. If you stand at the bottom of a mountain range, you will see ‘spurs’ coming down the mountain with valleys on either side. A kea pairs ‘home’ territory will be the entire spur. They will share it with their chicks each year as well as sub-adult and adult males who may come through to visit for a while.
7. Kea couples are territorial. Kea which have formed pair bonds ( breeding male and female) hold a territory (an area for themselves that no other kea pairs can live in – a bit like peoples homes and property the house sits on) of about 4kms2. If you stand at the bottom of a mountain range, you will see ‘spurs’ coming down the mountain with valleys on either side. A kea pairs ‘home’ territory will be the entire spur. They will share it with their chicks each year as well as sub-adult and adult males who may come through to visit for a while. Source: Iain McGregor/Stuff.co.nz
Kea can solve logical puzzles, such as pushing, pulling and turning things in a certain order to get to food, and will even work together to achieve a certain objective. They have been filmed preparing and using tools.
8. If it ain’t bolted down… Kea can solve logical puzzles, such as pushing, pulling and turning things in a certain order to get to food, and will even work together to achieve a certain objective. They have been filmed preparing and using tools. Source: Pinterest/traveling101.info

Check out video footage of these highly intelligent birds problem-solving and playing

We rarely put two videos in one article, but in this case we simply had to. In the first video, researchers hid a camera in a fake snowball in order to get close to the Kea while they play and investigate. In the second video we see just how cheeky and intelligent they are, as they solve problems and dismantle anything that isn’t bolted down (actually, they can undo bolts).

Kea Parrots Play With Snowballs & Discover One To Be Particularly Intriguing! Intelligent Kea Parrots love to be entertained and living in the snow gives plenty of opportunity for that. A Snowball Cam soon puts their intelligence to the test. Source: YouTube/John Downer Productions
New Zealand’s intelligent, cheeky, mischievous Kea. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough Source: YouTube/kiwiaus