Animal
Kea
The kea is a green parrot that lives in the snowy mountains of New Zealand. It is very curious and loves to play.
The kea is a big, olive-green parrot found only on the South Island of New Zealand. It lives in mountain forests and alpine meadows, digs for food with its long, curved beak, nests on the ground and is famous for being curious, playful and clever.
Nestor notabilis is an alpine parrot endemic to New Zealand's South Island, notable among parrots for ground nesting, winter breeding, a long juvenile phase and intelligence. Introduced predators, lead poisoning and conflict with people keep it Endangered (IUCN, 2017).
Photo: Christian Mehlführer, User:Chmehl, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Meet the kea
The kea is a big green parrot.
Under its wings it has bright orange-red feathers. It lives high in the mountains of New Zealand. It loves to explore and play.
The kea is a large parrot, about 46 centimeters long, with olive-green feathers. When it spreads its wings, you can see bright orange-red feathers underneath. Its beak is long and slender.
Kea live only in New Zealand. The New Zealand Department of Conservation calls them one of the smartest birds in the world, famous for solving problems. Their loud call sounds like their name: "kee-aaa!"
Nestor notabilis is a large, strong-flying parrot, about 46 centimeters long. Males weigh about 900 to 1,100 grams and females about 700 to 900 grams; females are about 20 percent lighter and have shorter bills (New Zealand Birds Online). The plumage is olive-green, with orange underwings and rump and blue-green iridescence on the primary flight feathers.
New Zealand Birds Online lists a set of traits unusual among parrots: a slender bill, digging for food, ground nesting, winter breeding, complex social life, intelligence, a long juvenile phase and use of alpine habitat. It suggests these evolved from a kaka-like ancestor as the Southern Alps rose over the last 5 million years.
Quick facts
- Group
- Bird
- Length
- 0.46 m
- Weight
- 0.7 to 1.1 kg
Where it lives
Kea live on one big island in New Zealand.
They live in mountain forests and up high where snow falls. Some live down near the sea too.
Kea live only on the South Island of New Zealand, in the mountains from Golden Bay in the north to Fiordland in the south. They do not live on the North Island.
Most kea live in mountain forests and the open alpine land above the trees, where there are rocks, tussock grass and snow in winter. Some live much lower, even near the coast. They like to gather on rocky outcrops and windy mountain passes.
The species is endemic to the South Island, along the main ranges from Farewell Spit to Waitutu plus the Kaikoura Ranges, an area New Zealand Birds Online puts at about four million hectares (the IUCN gives about 3.5 million). It is absent from the North Island and Stewart Island.
Kea occur from coastal dunes to high alpine peaks but are most common in montane forest and the subalpine and alpine zones above it. They nest mainly in native forest and forage in native forest, subalpine scrub, tussock and herb-field, socializing on prominent outcrops and windy saddles near the timberline.
Continent
Its habitats
Where can you find this animal?
- Lives here naturally · Countries and seas named by a scientific source
- Sightings recorded · Records of wild sightings (GBIF)
Lives here naturally · Countries and seas named by a scientific source
Mountains and forests of New Zealand's South Island only, from Golden Bay and Kahurangi to Fiordland, plus the Kaikoura Ranges; not on the North Island or Stewart Island. The map shades all of New Zealand.
Places: New Zealand.
Source: iucn-red-list · checked October 2026
Sightings recorded · Records of wild sightings (GBIF)
Counts of GBIF records of wild observations (human and machine) and preserved specimens. Records include introduced populations, vagrants, escaped or released animals and misidentifications, so a country with records is not necessarily part of the native range.
Wild sightings have been recorded in New Zealand, United States, Denmark, Australia, Luxembourg and Italy.
Source: gbif · checked October 2026
Range maps show where scientists say an animal lives, often country by country. An animal may live in only part of a country shown, and sightings records can include animals that wandered far from home.
What it eats
Kea eat lots of different foods.
They eat berries, leaves, flowers and seeds. They dig in the ground for grubs and roots with their long beaks.
Kea are omnivores: they eat both plants and animals. They pick shoots, fruits, leaves, nectar and seeds from trees and bushes, and they dig in the soil for insect grubs and plant roots. They also rip open rotten logs to find grubs called huhu grubs.
Kea also eat from the remains of dead deer and other animals. As they eat fruit, they spread seeds, which helps native plants grow in new places.
New Zealand Birds Online describes a broad omnivorous diet: shoots, fruits, leaves, nectar and seeds from trees and scrub; insect larvae and plant tubers, such as native orchids, dug from the soil; and huhu grubs excavated from rotten logs, especially in rimu forest and logged pine plantations. Kea scavenge from the carcasses of deer, chamois, tahr and sheep, and a few prey on Hutton's shearwater chicks in the Seaward Kaikoura Range.
They may be important seed dispersers for alpine plants. Many have also adapted to feeding at rubbish dumps and ski-fields (IUCN), and the Department of Conservation warns that human food harms kea.
Did you know?
Kea were voted New Zealand's Bird of the Year.
Kea were voted New Zealand's Bird of the Year in 2017.
The kea won New Zealand's Bird of the Year vote in 2017, and DOC notes it is a taonga (treasure) species for Ngāi Tahu and other iwi.
A beak built for digging
The kea has a long, curved beak.
It uses it like a tool to dig and pull things apart. Its feathers are olive-green.
A kea's beak is long and narrow, unlike the thick beaks of most parrots. The San Diego Zoo says kea use it to dig insects out of the ground, pry bark off trees and scrape meat from bones.
From above, a kea is olive-green. When it flies, it flashes orange-red under its wings and on its rump, and its long wing feathers shine blue-green in the light. Young kea have yellow skin around the eyes and at the base of the beak, which turns gray as they grow up.
The slender, gray-black bill is one of the kea's distinguishing features among parrots (New Zealand Birds Online); the San Diego Zoo describes it as long and narrow, used to dig insects from the ground, pry bark from trees and scrape meat from bones. Males have longer bills than females.
The plumage is olive-green; the underwings and rump are orange, and the primaries show blue-green iridescence. Juveniles have a yellow cere, lower mandible and eyelids that fade to gray with age.
Growing up
Kea make their nests on the ground, in holes between rocks or under trees.
The mother keeps the eggs warm. The father brings her food. The chicks stay in the nest for about three months.
Unlike most parrots, kea nest on the ground, in hollows under tree roots, in rock cracks or inside hollow logs. They often lay their eggs in winter. The female usually lays four eggs and keeps them warm for about three weeks while the male brings her food.
The chicks stay in the nest for about three months. Young kea then join wandering groups of other young birds, where they play and learn for a long time before they are grown up. Kea pairs usually stay together for many years.
Nests are on the ground below the tree line, in natural cavities such as rock crevices, hollows under roots or in the base of large trees, hollow logs or earth banks. Usually four eggs are laid between July and January, peaking August to October, which is the southern winter and spring. Incubation takes 22 to 24 days; the female incubates, broods and feeds the chicks, while the male feeds her. Chicks stay in the nest about three months, and nests fledge on average 1.6 young (New Zealand Birds Online).
Kea are monogamous with long-term pair bonds. Birds breed at three years or older, and the oldest recorded wild kea was at least 22 years old (IUCN).
Curious and clever
Kea are very curious. They love to explore and play.
They have turned on water taps and moved road cones! Some have even played tug-of-war with other animals.
Kea are famous for their curiosity. They investigate anything new, play with each other and figure out how things work. The New Zealand Department of Conservation has collected real stories of kea turning on water taps, using tools to get food, moving road cones and setting off traps to steal the bait.
Young kea spend a long time in groups, playing and learning from older birds. New Zealand Birds Online says kea are considered highly intelligent compared with other parrots and birds. But curiosity can get kea into trouble around people, cars and buildings.
Juvenile kea gather in loose, wandering flocks with flexible social hierarchies, and unrelated adults tolerate them, which New Zealand Birds Online says helps young birds learn complex foraging skills. Juveniles play, and the juvenile period is long for a parrot.
The Department of Conservation describes kea as one of the smartest birds in the world and lists documented incidents including turning on taps, using tools to get food and setting off traps. New Zealand Birds Online notes they are considered highly intelligent compared with other parrots, birds and even some mammals. This same exploratory behavior brings them into conflict with people, from damaged cars and buildings to eating lead from roofs.
Did you know?
Kea often lay their eggs in winter, when it is cold.
Unlike most parrots, kea breed in winter, laying eggs as early as July.
Laying runs from July to January, peaking in August to October, an unusual winter breeding pattern for a parrot.
Helping kea
There are not many kea left.
Animals brought to New Zealand, like stoats, can find kea nests on the ground. People are working hard to keep kea safe. Never feed a kea!
Kea are endangered. The Department of Conservation estimates there are only about 1,000 to 5,000 left. Because kea nest on the ground, stoats and cats, animals that people brought to New Zealand, can easily reach their eggs and chicks. Kea are also harmed by lead from roofs, by cars, and by people feeding them.
Where predators are controlled, about 70 percent of kea nests succeed; without control, it can drop to 10 percent or less. Kea have been fully protected by law since 1986. Visitors help by never feeding kea and keeping food and gear packed away.
The IUCN (2017) lists the kea as Endangered because it is believed to be declining rapidly from predation by introduced mammals and human-caused threats. The IUCN cited an estimate of about 6,000 birds (Kemp 2013); the Department of Conservation now gives 1,000 to 5,000, and New Zealand Birds Online stresses that any estimate is little more than a guess.
History hit kea hard: more than 150,000 were shot under bounty schemes between the 1860s and 1970, because some birds fed on live sheep. Bounties ended in 1971, and full protection came in 1986. Today stoats, cats and possums, lead, vehicles and feeding by people are the main threats. The Kea Recovery Strategy (2024–2034), from DOC, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and the Kea Conservation Trust, sets out the key actions; DOC also points to kea-safe traps and the Kea Conservation Trust's lead replacement scheme.
IUCN Red List
How is the kea doing in the wild?
- Least Concern
- Near Threatened
- Vulnerable
- Endangered (this animal)
- Critically Endangered
- Extinct in the Wild
- Extinct
Endangered
At very high risk of disappearing from the wild.
See the IUCN Red List assessment · The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021.3
Amazing facts
-
A kea's call sounds like it is saying its own name: kee-aaa!
The kea's loud call sounds like "kee-aaa", which is how it got its name.
The commonest call is a long, loud, high-pitched descending cry, broken "kee-ee-aa-aa" or unbroken "keeeeeaaaa".
-
Kea have been seen moving road cones!
Kea have been seen moving road cones, turning on water taps and playing tug-of-war with other animals.
DOC documents kea moving road cones, turning on taps, using tools to obtain food and triggering traps to take bait.
-
Kea were voted New Zealand's Bird of the Year.
Kea were voted New Zealand's Bird of the Year in 2017.
The kea won New Zealand's Bird of the Year vote in 2017, and DOC notes it is a taonga (treasure) species for Ngāi Tahu and other iwi.
-
Kea often lay their eggs in winter, when it is cold.
Unlike most parrots, kea breed in winter, laying eggs as early as July.
Laying runs from July to January, peaking in August to October, an unusual winter breeding pattern for a parrot.
Words to know
- alpine
- high in the mountains, above where trees grow
- omnivore
- an animal that eats both plants and animals
- endemic
- found naturally in only one place in the world
- predator
- an animal that hunts other animals for food
- tussock
- a thick clump of grass
- curious
- eager to explore and find out about things
Discovery challenge
-
Where do kea live?
Where in the world do wild kea live?
Which describes the kea's native range?
- The South Island of New Zealand
- The rainforests of Brazil
- The deserts of Egypt
Show the answer
The South Island of New Zealand
Kea live in the mountains of New Zealand.
Kea live only on New Zealand's South Island, mostly in mountain forests and alpine land.
Endemic to the South Island, from Kahurangi to Fiordland plus the Kaikoura Ranges.
-
Where does a kea make its nest?
Where do kea build their nests?
What is unusual about kea nest sites compared with most parrots?
- On top of tall cliffs in the sea
- On the ground, in hollows under roots or rocks
- Hanging from thin branches
Show the answer
On the ground, in hollows under roots or rocks
Kea nest in holes on the ground.
Kea nest on the ground, in rock cracks, hollow logs or hollows under tree roots.
They nest on the ground in natural cavities, which makes eggs and chicks easy for stoats and cats to reach.
-
What is the kea famous for?
What are kea famous for?
Which trait does DOC highlight in kea?
- Swimming under water
- Being curious and solving problems
- Changing color
Show the answer
Being curious and solving problems
Kea are curious and clever!
Kea explore everything and solve problems, like turning on taps.
DOC calls kea one of the smartest birds in the world, famous for problem solving.
-
What should you do if you see a kea?
What is one way visitors can help kea?
Which visitor action does DOC ask for to protect kea?
- Give it some bread
- Never feed it, and pack your food away
- Take it home as a pet
Show the answer
Never feed it, and pack your food away
Never feed a kea. Human food makes kea sick.
Human food harms kea and teaches them to look for food around people, cars and bins.
Feeding harms kea and draws them to human structures, where lead, vehicles and conflict add to their risks.
Places where you might see it
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Watch
Country
New Zealand
New Zealand, also called Aotearoa, is an island country in the South Pacific. Its two main islands have snowy mountains, glaciers, volcanoes and deep fiords, and about 5.36 million people lived there in 2026.
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Watch
Natural wonder
Aoraki / Mount Cook
Aoraki / Mount Cook is New Zealand's highest mountain, in the Southern Alps of the South Island. Its name joins its Māori name, Aoraki, with its English name, Mount Cook. The mountain is being pushed up where two of Earth's plates meet, and glaciers carve the valleys around it. In 2013 surveyors measured it at 3,724 meters.
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For parents & teachers
What children will learn
- Describe the kea's features and why its beak suits digging.
- Locate the kea's range on New Zealand's South Island.
- Explain why ground nesting makes kea vulnerable to introduced predators.
- Know simple actions that protect kea, such as never feeding wildlife.
Recommended ages: 3 to 17 · About 15 minutes
Talk about it
- Why might a curious bird get into more trouble around people than a shy one?
- Why do you think young kea spend so long playing before they grow up?
- How can an animal brought to a new place harm the animals already living there?
Try at home or in class
- Hide a treat in a box with a simple latch and watch how you, a friend or a pet works out how to open it. What steps did it take?
- Measure 46 centimeters with a ruler or tape: that is how long a kea is.
Key vocabulary: alpine, omnivore, endemic, predator, tussock, curious
Where these facts come from
- The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN terms of use (no redistribution of Red List data or range maps))
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and GBIF Occurrence Search , Global Biodiversity Information Facility (CC0 1.0 (backbone); occurrence counts are facts derived from records under CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC)
- Nestor notabilis (Kea), Red List assessment (BirdLife International 2017) , IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Kea , New Zealand Department of Conservation
- Parrot , San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
- Kea (Kemp, J. 2013, updated 2021) , New Zealand Birds Online
- Wikidata , Wikimedia Foundation (CC0 1.0)
- Wikimedia Commons , Wikimedia Foundation (Per file: Public domain, CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA only (credited on each page))
Checked, not yet human-reviewed. Last updated October 27, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.