Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing kea. You can subscribe to the channel to learn more fascinating facts. Kea were a request from Josh Robertson. This looks like it will be fun!

Kea are parrots native to New Zealand, and they’re not natively found anywhere else in the world, hence their other common name New Zealand mountain parrot. And mountain parrots they are; in fact, they’re some of the only parrots who actually enjoy snow. While most parrot species prefer the tropics, sunny beaches and tropical islands, these locations are not on the list of perfect nesting spots for kea. Kea live in forests, typically between 2,000 and 6,500 feet (600 - 2000 meters) above sea level, though they may also visit sand dunes, grassy fields, and ski lodges. Actually, kea are somewhat notorious for their antics around humans.

They’re considered by many to be highly intelligent animals - kea can solves puzzles, open trash can lids, and even collect food from traps for other animals. Not that these are their typical food sources. Kea enjoy meals of shoots, tubers, fruits, seeds, grubs, carcasses, and even sheep. That last one has kind of been an inciting factor between us and these parrots for awhile. Today, kea are protected by law throughout all of New Zealand, but it hasn’t always been this way. Before they received protection, it’s been guessed that nearly 150,000 individual kea were killed because they were seen as pests to livestock. Kea sometimes, rarely, but still sometimes, sit on top of sheep, dig through their wool, and peck at the sheep’s rump. The wounds the kea inflicts can cause infection in the sheep who then may eventually die. Obviously, farmers weren’t too happy about this, so people sort of went on a kea killing spree until somebody was like, oh crap, there’s like less than 10,000 of these birds left, we should probably like… stop. So now kea are protected, though they still have to deal with other threats like non-native mammals and run ins with vehicles. Sometimes New Zealand sounds just as scary as Australia and then I remember elves live their so it’s fine.

Supposedly, kea get their name from the loud “kee-aa” sound they make that would put any anime hero to shame, what do you think? Anime heroes or not, kea use vocalizations, along with other body language, to communicate. This communication is used between members of social groups, parents and kids, and mates. Kea have been documented to stick with the same partner meaning they’re likely some variation of monogamous, and they may breed at any point during the year, though their typical reproduction season is between July and January. A female will lay two to four eggs in a nest located on the ground among rocks or tree roots. The female kea will solely incubate the eggs for about a month. During this time the male will feed her and she likely won’t stray far from the nest. He’ll continue feeding her until the chicks fledge at which point he’ll start feeding them as well until the chicks can survive on their own. Do remember, too, that most of the time this is occuring in like… snowy winter. That’s one dedicated dad! The kids will hang out for another month or two before heading out on their own as a sibling group. They’ll travel as a flock until their ready to have kids of their own. A kea is full grown when it’s about cat-sized or otherwise about 18 inches (46cm) long. In captivity they may live as long as 15 years, but we really aren’t sure about their lifespan in the wild. Kea were also given the title of bird of the year in 2017 - so, I mean, they’re pretty awesome.

For more facts on kea, check out the links in the description. What are your thoughts on these crazy birds? Thank you for watching, and be sure to give a thumbs up for more Animal Fact Files!