Kea
| Kea | |
|---|---|
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| An adult at Arthur's Pass, New Zealand | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Psittaciformes |
| Family: | Strigopidae |
| Genus: | Nestor |
| Species: | N. notabilis |
| Binomial name | |
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Nestor notabilis Gould, 1856 |
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| Range in green | |
The kea (/ˈkiː.ə/; Māori: [kɛ.a]; Nestor notabilis) is a large species of parrot of the family Strigopidae found in forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand. About 48 cm (19 in) long, it is mostly olive-green with a brilliant orange under its wings and has a large, narrow, curved, grey-brown upper beak. The kea is the world's only alpine parrot. Its omnivorous diet includes carrion, but consists mainly of roots, leaves, berries, nectar, and insects. Now uncommon, the kea was once killed for bounty due to concerns by the sheep-farming community that it attacked livestock, especially sheep. It received full protection in 1986.
The kea nests in burrows or crevices among the roots of trees. Kea are known for their intelligence and curiosity, both vital to their survival in a harsh mountain environment. Kea can solve logical puzzles, such as pushing and pulling things in a certain order to get to food, and will work together to achieve a certain objective. They have been filmed preparing and using tools.
The kea was described by ornithologist John Gould in 1856. Its specific epithet, the Latin term notabilis, means "noteworthy". The common name is from Māori, probably representing the screech of the bird. The term "kea" is both singular and plural.
The genus Nestor contains four species: the New Zealand kaka (Nestor meridionalis), the kea (N. notabilis), the extinct Norfolk kaka (N. productus), and the extinct Chatham kaka (N. chathamensis). All four are thought to stem from a "proto-kākā", dwelling in the forests of New Zealand five million years ago. Their closest relative is the flightless kakapo (Strigops habroptilus). Together, they form the parrot family Strigopidae, an ancient group that split off from all other Psittacidae before their radiation.
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Wikipedia