Page 71 - BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #11
P. 71
KEA
“Alotofhumanfood,suchas Above: the kea’s
olive-green plumage
Fun-loving chocolate,ispoisonoustothe helps camouflage
it on the ground,
parrots birds.Yetkeahavelearnedto but in flight scarlet
underwings are
revealed. Its usual
stealitfromtheskikiosks.” call is a distinctive
high-pitched ‘kee-ah’.
As some of the world’s most
intelligent birds, kea are extremely
inquisitive, appear to enjoy
problem-solving and engage in
playful activities, seemingly for so were vulnerable. Yet the species did not Basin ski pass area recently. Another serious
fun – qualities that endear them become legally protected until 1986. issue is cars. Five kea were hit by vehicles
to us yet bring them into conflict. Nowadays, kea face a whole host of in Arthur’s Pass last year. Kea like a high-
In one example, kea were caught other threats to their survival too. Bruce protein, high-fat diet, so when a tanker
on camera moving traffic cones McKinlay of the country’s Department of filled with cream turned over and spilt
around the road outside Homer Conservation (DOC) explains: “Kea can its contents all over the road, it naturally
Tunnel in Fiordland National Park. adapt their behaviour to explore new things attracted the birds.”
To lure the birds away from the in their environment very quickly. However, It is this scavenging, curious behaviour
dangerous road, the Department from an evolutionary perspective, humans that puts the birds at risk. “It makes kea
of Conservation built a ‘kea gym’ and kea have only shared the land for the reliant on hand-outs from people, which
using objects the birds could take blink of an eye. People bring objects into isn’t necessarily good for them,” says Mark.
apart and climb on. At the ‘Kea Lab’ the environment and create situations “Several types of human food, such as
in Austria, a captive flock of around that kea are not really biologically equipped chocolate, are poisonous to the birds. Yet
30 kea takes part in experiments to handle.” people offer them chocolate quite regularly,
designed to help researchers learn Mark Brabyn, one of the initiators of and kea have even learned to steal it from
more about how birds acquire a citizen-science project called the Kea kiosks in the ski areas.”
knowledge and apply logic. Database, agrees. “Kea see wires and power The other issue is waste packaging, which
lines, and want to know what’s inside them. kea can easily eat while scavenging for food.
Three birds were electrocuted in the Temple “I’ve seen photographs of kea with their
November 2018 BBC Wildlife 71
