The Mischievous, Omnivorous Kea
Monster Monday
November 9, 2015
Most people wouldn’t consider parrots to be monstrous. But most kinds of parrots don’t eat sheep alive, destroy property, and cause mischief of all kinds. The kea haunts the nightmares of many New Zealand shepherds.
Keas are dull olive-green birds with red under the wings. They reach the size of a large crow, averaging 19 inches (48 centimeters) in length. Adults typically weigh about 2 pounds (0.9 kilograms). Keas are found only in New Zealand. They spend summers in the mountains and winters in the lowlands. They feed on insects, fruits, and the carcasses of sheep and deer.
Probably as a result of their broad diet, keas are bold, curious animals, always on the lookout for a meal. Some keas invade buildings to enjoy warmth or find food. They also appear to engage in play and mischief. Frequently, hikers and skiers return to their vehicles after hours or days on the mountains to find windshield wipers removed and antennas mangled by the beaks of keas. Keas enjoy stealing such metallic objects as keys and nails and often arrange them in neat order some distance away. Keas have also been known to knock over unguarded skis and ride them down the slopes!
Some keas have learned to attack sheep. At night, they walk among dozing herds, digging through dense wool with their sharp beaks to peck at the flesh beneath. The sheep are unable to defend themselves from such an attack. Though most survive the initial assault, many die soon after when the wounds become infected.
In the 1800’s, news of this this rare behavior spread and made New Zealand ranchers fear and hate the kea. For a time, the New Zealand government put a bounty on the birds. Tens of thousands were slaughtered as a result. Today, the government protects these inquisitive parrots. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the kea as vulnerable, and their numbers are still declining. Threats to the bird today include invasive species introduced to New Zealand by humans and environmental pollutants. If conservation efforts are strengthened, however, these mischievous little monsters will continue to entertain and enrage New Zealanders for many generations to come.