A species of large omnivorous parrot in found in the forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand. The kea is the world's only alpine parrot and is about 19" long.
The kea is mostly olive-green with a brilliant orange under its wings and has a large, narrow, curved, grey-brown upper beak.
The kea nests in burrows among the roots of trees. Kea are known for their intelligence and curiosity, 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.
Now uncommon, the kea was once killed for bounty due to concerns by the sheep-farming community that it attacked livestock, especially sheep. In 1986, it received full protection under the Wildlife Act.
