Kea
(Nestor notabilis)

Classification and Range
Keas are in the order Psittaciformes. They are further classified into the family Psittacidae. Some scientists regard members of the genus Nestor as a primitive group of parrots, due to their distant relation to most other parrot species. There are two other species in the genus Nestor: New Zealand kaka (N. meridionalis) and Norfolk Island kaka (N. productus), which is now extinct.*

Keas live exclusively on the South Island of New Zealand. Fossil evidence indicates they previously lived on the North Island and the Chatham Islands.

Habitat
A kea’s habitat depends on the season. In winter, they live in lowland forests, scrublands and meadows as low as 1,000 feet (305 m) in elevation. They may also roam coastal areas. In the summer, they migrate to near the timberline. At these higher elevations of up to 6,500 feet (1,981 m), they live in basins, on bluffs, in burrows under rocks and among tree roots.

Physical Description
The kea is a large parrot, standing between 17-19 inches (43-48 cm) in height. Adult males weigh an average of 33 ounces (936 g), while females weigh about 20% less. Another distinctive characteristic between the sexes is that the male has a longer and more curved beak.

Male and female kea coloration is very similar. The kea’s overall coloring is dull olive-green and its plumage appears scaly. Many feathers have a dark brown or black edge. The upper back, uppertail and wing upperparts are bronze-green. The underside of the tail is either blue-green or yellow. The lower back is dull orange-red. The underparts of the tail and wings are also orange-red, with occasional yellow stripes. In contrast, the primary flight feathers are blue. The breast and abdomen are light brown-green. There are dark brown patches behind and below the eyes, while the beak is a solid dark brown. The crown is yellow-green. The iris, legs and feet are either dark brown or dark gray. Juvenile keas acquire adult plumage at around 18 months of age. Until that time, they are similar in appearance to their parents with the exception of orange or yellow coloring around the eyes, crown, cere, beak and feet.

Keas have a high-pitched ‘kee-aa’ call, often heard in flight. They also have a variety of quieter whistling calls.

Life Span
In the wild, undocumented but estimated at 15 years. In captivity, more than 20 years.

Diet
In the wild: Food habits vary, depending on season. Keas are omnivorous, eating roots, leaves, flowers, seeds, fruits, berries, nectar, worms, insects and their larvae. As opportunistic feeders, keas also eat carrion and many have adapted to eating garbage left by humans.
At the zoo: Parrot mix, food pellets, dog kibble, seeds, nuts, vegetables, fruit, eggs and worms. They also receive vitamin supplements. Keepers also provide the keas with occasional ‘treats’ or enrichment items.

Reproduction
Male keas become sexually mature at 4-5 years, while females reach sexual maturity as early as 3 years old. Males fight amongst themselves for dominance and follow a strict hierarchy. Only the most dominant males will breed. A male breeds with several females in his defended territory, and breeding pairs last throughout the birds’ lives. Observers have seen keas breeding at all times of the year; however, keas breed mostly from July to January with peak breeding season in October. Keas do not breed on an annual basis; females may go two or more years before breeding again. This is likely due to the severe conditions of their habitat. The combination of male hierarchy with infrequent female breeding results in less than 20% of all males breeding annually.

The male and female build their nest in forests, in a burrow under rocks, among tree roots or in a hollow log. The nest consists of a footpath 3-18 feet (.9-5.5 m) long, which leads to a wide nesting chamber. The breeding pair lines the nesting chamber with moss, leaves, twigs or rotten woodchips. The female lays a clutch of two to four smooth, white, oval eggs approximately 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter. She incubates the eggs for about four weeks. When the female is incubating, she usually waits for the male to feed her. The female may leave once or twice a day to feed, but she rarely strays far from her nest and the male guards it in her absence.

Life Cycle
Upon birth, hatchlings are helpless and require the care of both parents. The male doesn’t help feed the young until they are about 1 month old; until that time, the female primarily feeds the young. The male also helps raise the chicks by playing with them, teaching them to fly, and watching them if they leave the nest. Chicks begin exploring outside the nest as early as two weeks after birth. The young stay nearby the nest until they fledge, which occurs 10-13 weeks after birth. After fledging, the chicks venture out on their own. Mortality rates are high; less than 40% live beyond their first year.

Young keas are somewhat clumsy in flight, and until they become stronger flyers, tend to walk around to forage for food. Even as adults, they may spend more time on the ground than in the air.

Keas live with their brothers and sisters until they reach sexual maturity, whereupon females remain in the area of their birth, while young males disperse to form their own flocks. Once separated, males and females establish organized groups of about 10 birds. There exists a social hierarchy in these flocks. One bird becomes the dominant kea by beating other challengers. In order to get food and keep desirable objects to themselves, the dominant kea controls the subordinates. During the breeding season, flock dynamics drastically change when both sexes form large flocks of 50-100 birds.

Keas are semi-nocturnal; in the summer they are often active well past sunset. In addition to the nighttime hours, keas may be more active during cloudy or stormy weather conditions.

Master of the Mountains
The kea has several adaptations that help it survive in cold, windy and snowy conditions. Its plumage is thick and reduces exposure to the elements. The kea’s long and slender bill can fit between rocks or probe through snow to extract roots, bulbs and shoots. Their talons are also quite long and sharp, which they use to dig for food. On the ground, keas maneuver around obstructions by hopping sideways or easily rolling around in the snow.

Keas are intelligent and inquisitive birds. Groups of keas quickly flock around a newfound object, examining it to see if it is a possible source of food or play. Researchers theorize that this fascination with novelty allows these birds to easily adapt to changing environmental conditions as well.

Another adaptation for the kea is its social structure. In certain situations, keas within a group will cooperate to find food. Keas that are closely related tolerate each other, and may even share food once it is found. By searching for food together, individuals in the group learn where and how to find food.

Killer Keas???
The natural history of keas in New Zealand is filled with fact and fiction. In order to survive at high altitudes, keas must layer on enough body fat to survive freezing conditions. While their diet is mainly of plant origin, keas also resort to a somewhat omnivorous diet. For example, even though they experience little competition from other bird species, keas raid the nests of coastal birds to rob them of their eggs or young chicks. Some people even claim that keas once ate the extinct flightless birds of New Zealand, commonly called moas.

As Europeans settled in New Zealand, they brought sheep with them to graze the inhospitable landscape. This provided keas with a new source of food, as sheep are a potential source of fat and protein. Keas occasionally harass or scavenge sick, injured or dead sheep caught in snowdrifts or fallen from cliffs. However, some ranchers assert that keas herd their sheep off of rocky overhangs, or that the keas’ attacks caused fatal blood loss or infections. In turn, this creates conflict between ranchers and keas, earning keas the doubtful title of “sheep killer” or the “feathered wolf.” This myth still persists, yet the amount of damage caused to sheep by keas is much less than injuries caused by the steep and dangerous terrain. Nowadays, ranchers can also treat their livestock with antibiotics to reduce infection caused by kea attacks.

Location at the Zoo
Woodland Park Zoo’s keas are on exhibit in two locations. They are on exhibit at the north end of the Trail of Adaptations. Keas are also in Australasia, in the new Willawong Station exhibit. Other birds in Australasia include kookaburra, budgerigars, rosellas and cockatiels.

Conservation Connection
In 1988, keas were listed as lower risk/least concern, but in 1994 (just six years later), they were upgraded to lower risk/near threatened. As of the year 2000, the kea was classified as vulnerable, and their status in the wild is not assured.** The present range of keas occurs within the boundaries of several large national parks where they are still fairly common. Nevertheless, wild populations are difficult to survey, so estimates vary from 1,000-15,000 birds.

The decline of keas is not a recent event. From 1860-1970, high country farmers of New Zealand hunted keas. The government paid a reward for the beaks of “rogue” keas. Researchers estimate that humans killed at least 150,000 birds during the past 140 years. In the 1970s, population counts showed only 5,000 keas left in the wild, so the government granted partial protection to keas. Despite protection, wild kea populations dropped to 2,000 by 1986, according to an estimate by New Zealand’s Wildlife Service. The low estimated population caused concern among many New Zealanders and prompted the government to take action. As a result, in 1986, the Wildlife Service granted keas full protection and it became illegal to shoot them. In exchange, the government agreed to investigate any reports of problematic keas in grazing areas and safely remove them if necessary.

The kea is not immune to problems facing other endemic species. Its numbers may be declining due to several factors. First, the kea’s range is very limited at just 24,000 square miles (63,000 km2), and this area is under constant pressure from logging and development. Second, introduced mammals such as rodents, cats, possum, red deer, hares, chamois, and livestock either compete for food resources or prey on keas, their eggs and young. Third, in an effort to protect their livestock, farmers still illegally kill an unknown number of keas each year. Fourth, since the introduction of humans into their territory, keas scavenge garbage dumps and are thereby exposed to harmful chemicals or substances.

As an island nation, New Zealand features many endemic species. The colonization of this country has resulted in at least 300 plants and animals listed as threatened; at least 44 species of birds are extinct. Additionally, in New Zealand, 90% of its wetlands are gone, and humans have cut down the forests from 78% to 25% of total land area. Today, only 10% of tussock grassland remains intact.

To restore kea populations, scientists are researching kea ecology, breeding biology and population dynamics. Interestingly, keas seem to thrive near humans, as studies show that keas living close to artificial sources of food breed well and are under no immediate threat. It is still unknown if true wild populations with no artificial food are in danger. Since keas breed readily in captivity, they could theoretically re-stock wild populations. However, New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DOC) has a ban on breeding for birds in captivity, as too many captive birds are related. The release of captive-bred keas into the wild would jeopardize natural populations.

Woodland Park Zoo Is Helping—With Your Support!
Each in-situ project supported by the zoo aims to provide a broad, holistic approach to conservation, encompassing research, education, habitat and species preservation. This includes comprehensive, cooperative strategies to link the needs of animals with the people who share their ecosystems.

How You Can Help!
Many tourists visit the national parks of New Zealand to see its wildlife. In order to attract their attention or to get a picture, some tourists feed keas or other wild birds. Feeding wild birds prevents them from seeking natural foods; they also become dependent on handouts from humans. To help keas and other wild birds, remove artificial food sources and they will lose interest in you and your possessions.

As humans increase their winter activities in the kea’s habitat, this presents new sources of distractions for keas. An additional complication is the fact that keas have no apparent fear of humans. Flocks of juvenile birds often come into conflict with humans. For instance, keas bite the rubber or chrome on vehicles, even damaging the tires. They can damage the electrical wiring on ski lifts or ski lodge equipment. These birds fly inside buildings, carrying away anything they can remove and fit in their beak. There are education programs in New Zealand that intend to reduce conflict between keas and humans, by recommending that alpine users reduce their impact on the environment and by changing the negative image of the species.

In an effort to track and identify troublesome keas, New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DOC) puts bands on these birds. If you see a banded bird, note its actions and report the band color combination or numbers to the nearest DOC office. To further reduce confrontations between wild birds and humans, remove tempting items and brightly colored objects.

The effort to save animal species requires cooperation and support at the international, national, regional and individual levels. You can help in this cause. Join and become active in Woodland Park Zoo and other conservation organizations of your choice. Let your elected representatives know your views on protecting endangered species and wild habitats. Please do not buy products made from wild animal parts.

Contact Woodland Park Zoo at 206.548.2500, to find out how you can support conservation efforts at the zoo.

Sources and Suggested Reading
del Hoyo, Josep et al. 1996. Handbook of the Birds of the World, Volume 4. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain.

Diamond, J. & Bond, A. B. 1999. Kea, bird of paradox. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA.

Other References
Williams, R. 2001. "Nestor notabilis" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed February 04, 2005 at:

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Nestor_notabilis.html

http://www.doc.govt.nz/Conservation/001~Plants-and-Animals/001~Native-Animals/Kea.asp
http://www.parrotsociety.org.au
http://www.wwf.org.nz/conservation/wwf_reports.cfm
http://www.arndt-verlag.com
http://www.apinfo.co.nz/inf145.htm
http://www.megabright.co.nz/SSS3.kea2.htm
http://www.parrot.co.nz/Parrot.NZ.articles/article-kea.html
http://www.lbarker.orcon.net.nz/NZbirds.html

* Taxonomic classification varies between references. Classification information used in this fact sheet was taken from: A complete checklist of the birds of the world, 2nd edition, by Richard Howard and Alick Moore, 1994. Academic Press Inc., San Diego, CA. 630 p.

**There are several international and federal agencies that determine the endangered status of species. WPZ designates a species as endangered if it is listed as endangered on the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) Red List, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Endangered Species List, or on Appendix I of CITES (Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna).