What makes the kea special?

How smart are Kea parrots?

Kea parrots are quite a popular subject of discussion these days, following a recent trend of adorable videos making their rounds on the internet. They reveal just how intelligent and entertaining these unusual birds are. Like the common crow, kea parrots appear to be extremely smart at adapting to their environment.

Why is the Kea protected?

Kea conservation. The New Zealand kea is a protected species. Like many other native birds, kea suffer from predation by introduced mammals. Kea are also impacted by human activity. Stoats are the primary predators of kea, and cats are also a major threat when cat populations make incursions into kea habitat.

Is the Kea the world’s smartest bird?

The New Zealand Kea, the world’s only alpine parrot is known as the ‘Clown of the Alps’ to South Islanders; and has recently been heralded as the world’s smartest bird (its intelligence rivals a monkey’s) says the Institute of Cognitive Biology in Vienna.

What is a kea parrot?

The Kea parrot is principally a mountain bird being found from around 600 – 2000 metres above sea level. During winter the Keas tend to spend most of their time at the lower altitudes where food is more plentiful, however, in spring and autumn they move up into the sub-alpine scrub and grassland to feed on seasonal fruit and berries.

What makes Kea parrots unique?

Kea are a unique and endangered parrot (psittacine) species endemic to the Southern Alps of New Zealand. Kea are highly adaptive and are considered by scientists to be one of the most intelligent bird species in the world. This intelligence and curiosity makes them both……

Why is it called a Kea bird?

The kea was described by ornithologist John Gould in 1856. Its specific epithet, the Latin term notabilis, means “noteworthy”. The common name kea is from Māori, probably an onomatopoeic representation of their in-flight call – ‘keee aaa’.

How smart is a Kea bird?

In some intelligence tests carried out by a Canterbury University masters student, kea outscored gibbons – and anthropoid apes which are part of the primate family. This beautiful bird is in the same genus (Corvus) as crows and just are about equally smart. They’re known for their ability to understand cause and how to solve complicated problems.

Do Kea parrots eat mammals?

What doesn’t usually come to mind is a bird supplementing its diet by feasting on mammals (unless, of course, it is a bird of prey, such as an owl, hawk or eagle). Then again, Kea parrots are unique among parrots in many ways. Their nickname as the “ naughty alpine parrot ” is quite telling.

How much does a kea parrot weigh?

The Kea is a large species of parrot that can measure more than a foot and a half in terms of its height. In some cases, these birds can even weight a heavy as about 2 lbs or about a kilogram.

Why is the kea New Zealand’s bird of the year?

New Zealander’s now love the Kea so much that it was voted Bird of the Year in 2017 – against some very stiff competition. These cheeky creatures socialise on prominent rocky outcrops and windy saddles.

How smart is a kea parrot?

Parrots are smart with Kea parrot being the smartest of them all. These birds are intelligent, talented, and affectionate towards humans. They display logical and analytical abilities from time to time to prove their smartness. Many parrot species are good at learning new things because of their curious personalities.

What do Kea birds eat?

Recent research reveals that kea, like most birds, need a regular intake of natu­rally occurring lipids (fats) to provide eas­ily stored energy. Some montane and subalpine plants, such as snow totara, are rich in vegetable lipids, and it is no sur­prise that these are among the kea’s fa­voured foods.

How do Kea parrots get fat?

Scientists believe that, some but not all, Kea parrots use their long, curved beaks and claws to tear through the wool and eat fat from a sheep’s back. The kea might be inclined to seek sources of fat to help them survive their cold climate.

Can Kea birds be Kea pets?

The Kea is said to be a bird that is extremely difficult to be kept in captivity as a pet because of how destructive and intelligent they are to the point that they may even become a bit too bothersome for you even when they are in their cage. Some say they are not really appropriate to keep as pets regardless of whether they are protected or not.

How big do Kea parrots get?

The Kea is a large species of parrot that can measure more than a foot and a half in terms of its height. In some cases, these birds can even weight a heavy as about 2 lbs or about a kilogram. In that regard, they are typically a lot larger than some of the other species of parrots.

How much does a Kea weigh?

Kea are the heavy weights of our flighted terrestrial (those that live on land) birds. Males range from 750g- 1kg and females are slightly lighter at 700g – 850grams. That’s about the weight of a domestic bantam (very small breed) chicken.

What is the difference between a male and female kea parrot?

Male Keas weigh more than female Keas. Females can be distinguished from males by their beaks, which are often less sharply curved and shorter. A Kea Parrots plumage is olive green in colour, their nape and crown is yellow/green and their abdomen and chest is green with a brown tinge. Their lower back is orange to red in colour.

What animal is named after a bird in New Zealand?

The youngest section of Scouts New Zealand (known as Beavers in the United Kingdom and Joeys in Australia) is named after the bird. In the video game Dwarf Fortress, kea are one of many species of animals that will steal the player’s items. A gathering or group of kea is called a circus.

Where do Kea parrots live in NZ?

Distribution and habitat The kea is one of ten endemic parrot species in New Zealand. Kea sign at Arthur’s Pass The kea ranges from lowland river valleys and coastal forests of the South Island’s west coast up to alpine regions of the South Island such as Arthur’s Pass and Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park.

Do Kea birds preys on sheep?

Tool use behavior has been observed in this species, wherein a bird named Bruce, who has a broken upper beak, wedged pebbles between his tongue and lower mandible and then utilized this arrangement to aid with his preening habits. The controversy about whether the kea preys on sheep is long-running.

What do Kea eat?

Kea are omnivorous and eat a wide range of plant and animal food: 1 Tree and plant material like leaves, nectar, fruit, roots and seeds 2 Bugs and larvae that they dig out of the ground or rotten logs 3 Other animals, including baby birds of other species like shearwaters, or scavenge deer and sheep carcasses More