The Kea is a parrot of the mountains of New Zealand’s South Island. It has olive-green feathers edged in black and orange-red underwings. It eats both plants and animals, and the elevations it uses vary by season.
Both sexes have olive-green feathers edged in black. The underwings are orange-red, with black-and-yellow bars on the flight feathers.
Kea inhabit South Island mountains, forests and some coastal areas. They explore, play and investigate objects, and disperse seeds after eating fruit.
Curiosity brings contact with buildings and vehicles. Lead materials can poison birds, while feeding can draw them into human settings and increase hazards.
Ground nests face introduced predators. Conservation combines predator management, lead reduction and reducing access to human food. The 2024–2034 strategy guides partnerships across the natural range.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
Introduced predators, lead poisoning, vehicle collisions and feeding by people are threats. The recovery strategy guides action to reduce these pressures across the range.