Nature / Sustainable Tourism

Cheeky parrot

In the Southern Alps of the South Island, a clownish colourful native parrot called the kea performs antics that can be both alarming and amusing. The kea survives in this harsh mountain climate as an example of the world's only mountain parrot. Highly intelligent (studies have shown it to be as smart as a monkey), the kea appears unafraid of humans. The kea will steal objects from cars, and damage windscreen wipers and mirrors. Competition for food in their sub-alpine habitat has led them to become scavengers and because they were reported to attack sheep they were culled until 1970 but fully protected from 1986. Now, as with all native birds, it is an offence to kill them.

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