Nestor notabilis (*) Cladus: Eukaryota Name Nestor notabilis Gould, 1856 Vernacular names The Kea (pronounced /ˈkeɪ.ə/; Māori: [kɛ.a]) (Nestor notabilis) is a large species of parrot (family Strigopidae) found in forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand. Measuring around 48 cm (19 in) in length, it is mostly olive-green and has a large narrow curved grey-brown upper beak. The Kea is one of the few alpine parrots in the world. Its omnivorous diet includes carrion[2] but consists mainly of roots, leaves, berries, nectar, and insects. Now uncommon, the Kea was once killed for bounty as it preyed on livestock, especially sheep. It only received full protection in 1986.[3] 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.[4] Taxonomy and naming The Kea was described by ornithologist John Gould in 1856.[5] Its specific epithet, the Latin term notabilis, means "noteworthy".[6] The common name is from Māori, probably representing the screech of the bird.[7] The term Kea is both singular and plural. The genus Nestor contains four species: the New Zealand Kaka (Nestor meridionalis), the Kea (N. notabilis), and the extinct Norfolk Island Kākā (N. productus) and Chatham Island Kākā (N. sp.). All four are thought to stem from a "proto-Kākā", dwelling in the forests of New Zealand five million years ago.[8][9] Their closest relative is the Kākāpō (Strigops habroptila).[8][9][10][11] Together, they form the parrot family Strigopidae, an ancient group that split off from all other Psittacidae before their radiation.[8][9][11][12] Description
Juveniles have yellow eyerings and cere, an orange-yellow lower beak, and grey-yellow legs The Kea (Nestor notabilis) is one of ten parrot species endemic to New Zealand. The other mainland species are the Kākā (Nestor meridionalis), the Kākāpō (Strigops habroptila), and three species of Kākāriki: the Yellow-crowned Parakeet (Cyanoramphus auriceps), the Red-fronted Parakeet (Cyanoramphus novaezelandiae) and the Orange-crowned Parakeet (Cyanoramphus malherbi). The other New Zealand parrot species are the Chatham Island Kākā (N. sp.) and Chatham Parakeet (Cyanoramphus forbesi), from the Chatham Islands, and the Antipodes Island Parakeet (Cyanoramphus unicolor)) and Reischek's Parakeet (Cyanoramphus hochstetteri), endemic to Antipodes Island. An unidentified parakeet also lived on Campbell Island, but was extinct by 1840.[15] The Kea ranges from lowland river valleys and coastal forests of the westcoast up to the alpine regions of the South Island such as Arthur's Pass and Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, closely associated throughout its range with the southern beech (Nothofagus) forests in the alpine ridge. Apart from occasional vagrants, Kea are not found in the North Island, although fossil evidence suggests a population lived there over 10,000 years ago.[16] The population was estimated at between 1,000 and 5,000 individuals in 1986,[17] contrasting with another estimate of 15,000 birds in 1992.[18] Both estimates depend heavily upon the assumptions made.[18] The Kea's widespread distribution at low density across inaccessible areas prevents accurate estimates.[19][20] Interactions with humans People commonly encounter wild Kea at South Island ski areas. The Kea are attracted by the prospect of food scraps. Their curiosity leads them to peck and carry away unguarded items of clothing or to pry apart rubber parts of cars—to the entertainment and annoyance of human observers. They are often described as "cheeky". A Kea has even been reported to have made off with a Scottish man's passport while he was visiting Fiordland National Park.[21] Life span Mortality is high among young Kea, with less than 40% surviving their first year.[22] The median lifespan of a wild subadult Kea has been estimated at 5 years, based on the proportion of Kea seen again in successive seasons in Arthur's Pass, and allowing for some emigration to surrounding areas. Around 10% of the local Kea population were expected to be over 20 years of age.[18] The oldest known captive Kea was 50 years old in 2008.[22] Breeding
Kea are social and live in groups of up to 13 birds.[24] Isolated individuals do badly in captivity but respond well to mirror images.[25] In one study, nest sites occur at a density of 1 per 4.4 km².[20] The breeding areas are most commonly in Southern Beech (Nothofagus) forests, located on steep mountain sides. Breeding at heights of 1600 m above sea level and higher, it is one of the few parrot species in the world to regularly spend time above tree line. Nest sites are usually positioned on the ground underneath large beech trees, in rock crevices or dug burrows between roots. They are accessed by tunnels leading back 1 m to 6 m into a larger chamber, which is furnished with lichens, moss, ferns and rotting wood. The laying period starts in July and reaches into January.[26] Two to five white eggs are laid, with an incubation time of around 21 days, and a brooding period of 94 days.[27] Diet An omnivore, the Kea feeds on more than 40 plant species (Tab. 1), beetle larva, other birds (including shearwater chicks) and mammals (including sheep and rabbits).[4][24] It has been observed breaking open shearwater nests to feed on the chicks after hearing the chicks in their nests.[28] The Kea has also taken advantage of human garbage and "gifts" of food.[29] In captivity, the bird is fond of butter, nuts, apples, carrots, grapes, mangoes, figs, bread, dairy products, ground meat and pasta. There was a long-running controversy about whether the Kea preys on sheep. Sheep suffering from unusual wounds on their sides or loin were noticed by the mid-1860s, within a decade of sheep farmers moving into the high country. Although some supposed the cause was a new disease, suspicion soon fell on the Kea. James MacDonald, head shepherd at Wanaka Station, witnessed a Kea attacking a sheep in 1868, and similar accounts were widespread.[2] Prominent members of the scientific community accepted that Kea attacked sheep, with Alfred Wallace citing this as an example of behavioural change in his 1889 book Darwinism. Despite substantial anecdotal evidence of these attacks,[2][30] however, others remained unconvinced, especially in later years. For instance, in 1962, animal specialist J.R. Jackson concluded that while the bird may attack sick or injured sheep, especially if it mistook them for dead, it was not a significant predator.[31] In 1993, however, its nocturnal assaults were captured on video,[4] proving that at least some Kea will attack and feed on healthy sheep. The video confirmed what many scientists had long suspected, that the Kea uses its powerful curved beak and claws to rip through the layer of wool and eat the fat from the back of the animal. Though the bird does not directly kill the sheep, death can result from blood poisoning or accidents suffered by animals trying to escape. There were also anecdotal reports of Kea attacking rabbits, dogs, and even horses.[30] The Kea has been observed feeding on the following plants:[24] Together with local councils and runholders, the New Zealand government paid a bounty for Kea bills because the bird preyed upon livestock, mainly sheep.[30][32] It was intended that hunters would kill Kea only on the farms and council areas that paid the bounty, but some hunted them in national parks and in Westland, where they were officially protected. More than 150,000 were killed in the hundred years before 1970, when the bounty was lifted.[33] In the 1970s, the Kea received partial protection after a census counted only 5000 birds. The government agreed to investigate any reports of problem birds and have them removed from the land.[19] It was not until 1986 that it was given full protection under the Wildlife Act 1953. A study of Kea numbers in Nelson Lakes National Park showed a substantial decline in the population between 1999 and 2009, caused primarily by predation of Kea eggs and chicks.[34] Video cameras set up to monitor Kea nests in South Westland have confirmed that possums do kill Kea fledglings.[35] The Kea is classed as Nationally Endangered in the New Zealand Threat Classification System[36] and Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List. 1. ^ BirdLife International (2008). Nestor notabilis. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 24 March 2009. Database entry includes a range map and justification for why this species is vulnerable. Source: Wikipedia, Wikispecies: All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License |
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