Kea - New Zealand's parrot (1 Viewer)

Hello to everybody who is interested in Keas!

Who wants to "austauschen" with me infos and/or pictures from keas?
Excuse me - I'm not so good in English so I posted a german word here

If there is somebody, it would be nice to communicate also per e-mail.

Looking forward for some answers!

Jas

Hello Jas..

Have always loved our keas...gorgeous stroppy character birds..!!

Used to see heaps up at the skifields when I was young..very inquisitive and into everything..they got a bad name for attacking sheep and lambs and the high country farmers used to shoot them!

So not so many now..have not got a digital camera but happy to help in any way I can??

Cheers

Caroline....NZ

Hello Jas,
please visit this link :
http://www.arkive.org/species/GES/birds/Nestor_notabilis/

and enjoy some good photos of this fascinating bird !
I have seen it in NZ, in the Mount Cook area, and
have a good view of it, flying over the mountains !

cheers,
Didier

JasBoehm said:

Hello to everybody who is interested in Keas!

Who wants to "austauschen" with me infos and/or pictures from keas?
Excuse me - I'm not so good in English so I posted a german word here

If there is somebody, it would be nice to communicate also per e-mail.

Looking forward for some answers!

Jas

Click to expand...

link to kea

Didier Godreau said:

Hello Jas,
please visit this link :
http://www.arkive.org/species/GES/birds/Nestor_notabilis/

and enjoy some good photos of this fascinating bird !
I have seen it in NZ, in the Mount Cook area, and
have a good view of it, flying over the mountains !

cheers,
Didier

Click to expand...

Hello, Didier,

many, many thanks for this wonderful link!
And excuse me, please, that I didn't answer for such a long time. I'm very new here and I couldn't find anymore my own posting in this forum:h?: .
But finally I found it again - and your message .

When have you been in NZ? Was it a good time for you? Want to tell me a bit from the keas, you've met there?
Regards from Jas :hi:

Kea - kea - kea

caroline ...NZ said:

Hello Jas..

Have always loved our keas...gorgeous stroppy character birds..!!

Used to see heaps up at the skifields when I was young..very inquisitive and into everything..they got a bad name for attacking sheep and lambs and the high country farmers used to shoot them!

So not so many now..have not got a digital camera but happy to help in any way I can??

Cheers

Caroline....NZ

Click to expand...

Hello, Caroline,

excuse me please, that I didn't answer for such a long time. But I'm new here and I was so confused at first (maybe I'm a bit stupid as well), that I didn't find anymore my own posting here.
But at least - here I am!:-O

I felt really well when reading, that you love the keas too!

Do farmers still shoot keas? Some time ago I saw a movie in TV about keas - and they REALLY attacked sheep in the night. They perched (is this the correct term?) on the back of the (adult) sheep and pecked into the back, until the sheep was bleeding. - I don't know, why they do this - I cannot imagine, that they EAT the meat or drink blood! Or do they?
Whatever - It would have some reason... Big question: WHICH reason?
Nevertheless I like keas. I never saw them "in person", but I'm collecting informations, photos, soundfiles - all what I can get.

How you could help me? If you want and have time, TELL me about keas.

You wrote:"...when I was young..." What do you mean with this? I know people in their thirties, who also use to say "when I was young..."
You know, Caroline, once upon a time... I was young too :eek!: .

Now I'm looking forward for a message from you (and I hope, that you can understand my terrible English.)

Best regards! :hi:
Jas

JasBoehm said:

I cannot imagine, that they EAT the meat or drink blood! Or do they?
Whatever - It would have some reason... Big question: WHICH reason?

Click to expand...

They do it to get to the fat... which they eat. Having said that it is a relatively rare occurence only documented in a few minor sub-populations.

kea - fat - vermin

Rasmus Boegh said:

They do it to get to the fat... which they eat. Having said that it is a relatively rare occurence only documented in a few minor sub-populations.

Click to expand...

Hello, Rasmus,

thanks for this information. I know already that locally different populations of chimps find out different ways to get food - and so make something like their own "culture". Why shouldn't this be possible also for intelligent birds, like keas are? Maybe a "brainy boy" - once upon a time - was very, very hungry and somehow found out (maybe there was a wounded sheep) that you can eat the fat of sheep? Afterwards he showed his children this "trick"...
But - however - today I read somewhere in internet, that keas sitting on the back of sheep, and picking, often are looking for vermin in the fleece. This sounds plausible - what do you think?

Greetings!
Jas

JasBoehm said:

But - however - today I read somewhere in internet, that keas sitting on the back of sheep, and picking, often are looking for vermin in the fleece.

Click to expand...

Yes, I am sure it is possible. They are - as you say - highly intelligent even compared to most other parrots. It is rather interesting with the actual attacks on sheep. For a long time the it was considered nothing but a story told by farmers who just wanted to kill the keas as a vermin. Then, suddenly, it was proven. As far as I am aware, the only attacks have been on sheep that were already weak. A healty sheep quite certainly wouldn't allow it to happen.

Hello JasBoehm,
I've seen Kea's perched on the roof of a mountain hut where I spent the night in the Southern Alps-on a walking route called the Routeburn.
What I learned that day is that they have an amazing coloured orange uaxilla.

I bought a childrens book called 'Charlie the Cheeky Kea' which I enjoyed reading to my children. Its about a Kea who keeps tearing holes in the Warden's tent, socks etc. and is eventually taken to wellington zoo. He escapes and flies across Cooks Straight back to the South Island. It captures well the impishness of the bird.

Do you know the book Caroline?

Regards,

Padraig.

Keas are certainly a fantastic parrot species.....I don't think I've ever seen a bird in the flesh with so much character. I was in NZ for a while in 2001 and had the pleasure of seeing a few birds on the South Island. Mostly, the birds were in flight at relatively high altitude but one individual was very cheeky.

My girlfriend and I were hiking the Kepler Trail at Te Anau, near Milford Sound. During the second day of the hike, we had to cross a really narrow ridge about 100 metres long. As we approached the other side, something was perched motionless on a rock....which, due to the distance looked like another rock. However, it moved and I, realising what it was nearly had a heart attack trying to get my girlfriend to stay still incase it was frightened off!! No fear!!

The bird waited for us, and as we sat down a few metres away, it decided to check out the day packs and anything that wasn't tied down was fair game. Those beaks are sharp and damn strong...especially at a distance of 6 feet. Needless to say, amidst spectacular NZ scenery, this just capped the day off superbly!

If you do go to NZ, check out the Franz-Josef and Fox Glaciers on the South island....Keas are normally found at the car parks tearing tourists' cars to pieces!!!...so I'm told!!!!

Best of luck.