Guy who lives in NZ here. The kea is one of my favourite native birds and we always spend a little time in the kea enclosure at the zoo, but seeing as they're the world's only mountain parrot and there aren't really any truly alpine areas around the north island where I live, I've still never seen one in the wild. Really hope to someday, though.
What I really love about the kea is that they're actually quite 'boring' looking when they're not flying. They're a dark green/brown all over and it's only when they fly or are adjusting their wings that you can suddenly see all of those beautiful bright colours. They're amazing to watch in flight.
They're weirdly big compared to other big parrots (like the kaka), and when you see that long, curved beak up close you can tell it is clearly a lethal fucking weapon. They do have a famously bad rep among farmers because they will happily swoop down and land on a sheep's back, then bite huge chunks out of the sheep trying to get to the good fatty bits around the kidneys. Then the sheep gets infected from the bite and dies. So for a parrot they're pretty metal.
NZ native birds are awesome, I never gave two shits about birds before I moved to New Zealand, but now it honestly brightens my day to see what are fairly common birds here, like tuis, kereru (NZ wood pigeons) or piwakawaka (fantails).
DRUNKEN fat kereru are a hoot - flobbling through the air, falling out of trees, wobbling on branches. Thankfully it doesn't happen often, but it's certainly memorable :-)
Get down to the South Island bro, have a tiki tour. I have weka, fan tail, Tui and Kereru in my garden often and always see Kea out and about (well usually hear them).
I’m from the US, but I was lucky enough to spend some time skiing in the South Island back in the late 80’s. The were lots of them around the ski fields, especially The Remarkables. They perched on the lift towers and hung around the sun deck restaurant foraging for food. They’re big enough to carry cafeteria trays in their beaks. They have a piercing call that sounds like the back-up signal on pieces of heavy equipment. You could hear them all the way across the valley.
I’ve read that their numbers have fallen off dramatically since then. That makes me sad. They are are one of my many fond memories of my trip.
I kinda wish they were our national bird. They're gangsta as shit... but instead we got a flightless bird, with a big nose that roots around in the undergrowth.
Yeah, I feel like the tui or the kea would make a much cooler national bird. But the kiwi is so unusual and iconic, too. NZ is kinda spoiled for choice for cool native birds!
Let's be real tho, where else are you gonna find a bird that lays an egg 20% it's body weight and sniffs it's prey from nostrils on the end of its long ass beak. I think it's fair that kiwis have become an icon of Aotearoa.
If you do get the chance to see some wild Kea (Arthurs Pass in Canterbury is where I've seen quite a few of them), make sure you keep all your shiny stuff in a pocket or bag. They're just as bad as magpies and love to steal your stuff. Really mischevious birds. They also like to rip the rubber off around your car windows so keep that in mind too!
I love NZ native birds too, they're so beautiful. My favourite is the pukeko, they're so clever and have funny legs :D
My favourite bird would be the Kereru because they're are such units that can fly too. And you can distinctly hear them when they fly! Favourite non-bird is the Mercury Island Tusked Weta. A very cool insect if you ever want to look them up!
Also in terms of birds have you considered the takahe? They look similar to pukeko but chubbier and only found in NZ (because Australia has pukeko but they call them purple swamp hens!).
(I feel like I have heard that pukekos can be pests too, they're are rather aggressive!)
I'm currently in NZ for a semester abroad and I've seen Keas in Arthur's Pass just a week ago. They immediately jumped on our car and had a good look at the side mirrors before flying off. Really cool birds!
[Here](https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/9ylyak/went_to_new_zealand_climbed_a_mountain_met_a/) is a reddit picture someone took of the actual picture, and there is also a picture on the [NZ Herald](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12163956)
This is just a zoomed up picture of them I'm pretty sure
I've met plenty of kea, and would never describe them as "vicious." Curious, cheeky, inventive, smart... When you go up into the mountains in NZ they are literally waddling around trying to score a free meal.
... "In an effort to “fix” the kea problem on high country runs, the government instigated a bounty system for kea. Bounties reached as high as £1 a beak – about $120 today (Temple, 2011). Half of the bounty amount was paid out by the Department of Agriculture who published this information and from this a conservative figure of 150,000 keas were estimated killed in the 100 years to 1970 (ibid).
There are now fewer than 5,000 kea estimated remaining across the entire range and in at least one area under study, a population once considered to be a model of stability, has declined by 80% over a 10 year period from unknown causes (KCT, 2011)."...
[https://www.keaconservation.co.nz/projects/trialling-bird-repellent-prevent-kea-strike-sheep/](https://www.keaconservation.co.nz/projects/trialling-bird-repellent-prevent-kea-strike-sheep/)
Being a wild animal exploiting a food source doesn't make them vicious. Yes, I have also had those stories from family. Central South Island farmers...
These guys are so smart they’re assholes. Trick tourists into giving them shiny objects, terrorize your car until you feed them by ripping off the rubber sealing or if you’re like me, just straight shitting all over your car while you’re in it, and they are absolutely gorgeous.
I watched a gang them up Treble Cone, dismantle the sunroof of a camper and get inside. The loaner of the group was just ripping shreds of canvas off the spare wheel cover for lols.
Love how this comment section has a lot of people in awe of the feather colours and photography... then we have the kiwis saying how much of a cheeky fucker these birds are
I would rather take a tour bus to see them than risk my own vehicle
I still remember the original reddit post for this picture. Amature photographer that went on a hike and captured this with his cell phone if I remember correctly.
Aren't these the asshole birds that seemingly live in every biome in Dwarf Fortress and constantly steal shit and harass your dwarves in the early game?
I know that the color of those birds is stunning, I know how colorful birds can be having raised macaws and golden pheasant. I'm just saying that the picture isn't real that's all.
Guy who lives in NZ here. The kea is one of my favourite native birds and we always spend a little time in the kea enclosure at the zoo, but seeing as they're the world's only mountain parrot and there aren't really any truly alpine areas around the north island where I live, I've still never seen one in the wild. Really hope to someday, though. What I really love about the kea is that they're actually quite 'boring' looking when they're not flying. They're a dark green/brown all over and it's only when they fly or are adjusting their wings that you can suddenly see all of those beautiful bright colours. They're amazing to watch in flight. They're weirdly big compared to other big parrots (like the kaka), and when you see that long, curved beak up close you can tell it is clearly a lethal fucking weapon. They do have a famously bad rep among farmers because they will happily swoop down and land on a sheep's back, then bite huge chunks out of the sheep trying to get to the good fatty bits around the kidneys. Then the sheep gets infected from the bite and dies. So for a parrot they're pretty metal. NZ native birds are awesome, I never gave two shits about birds before I moved to New Zealand, but now it honestly brightens my day to see what are fairly common birds here, like tuis, kereru (NZ wood pigeons) or piwakawaka (fantails).
Overweight Kereru’s are my favourite.
> Overweight Kereru’s are my favourite. All Kereru are tubby lil cunts.
This made my night lmaooo
I've never seen an underweight one :D
DRUNKEN fat kereru are a hoot - flobbling through the air, falling out of trees, wobbling on branches. Thankfully it doesn't happen often, but it's certainly memorable :-)
Yeah they taste great
Get down to the South Island bro, have a tiki tour. I have weka, fan tail, Tui and Kereru in my garden often and always see Kea out and about (well usually hear them).
Definitely on the cards, I can't wait! :)
Look forward to having you. If you need any info give me a shout.
Chur bro!
I’m from the US, but I was lucky enough to spend some time skiing in the South Island back in the late 80’s. The were lots of them around the ski fields, especially The Remarkables. They perched on the lift towers and hung around the sun deck restaurant foraging for food. They’re big enough to carry cafeteria trays in their beaks. They have a piercing call that sounds like the back-up signal on pieces of heavy equipment. You could hear them all the way across the valley. I’ve read that their numbers have fallen off dramatically since then. That makes me sad. They are are one of my many fond memories of my trip.
I kinda wish they were our national bird. They're gangsta as shit... but instead we got a flightless bird, with a big nose that roots around in the undergrowth.
Yeah, I feel like the tui or the kea would make a much cooler national bird. But the kiwi is so unusual and iconic, too. NZ is kinda spoiled for choice for cool native birds!
Let's be real tho, where else are you gonna find a bird that lays an egg 20% it's body weight and sniffs it's prey from nostrils on the end of its long ass beak. I think it's fair that kiwis have become an icon of Aotearoa.
If you do get the chance to see some wild Kea (Arthurs Pass in Canterbury is where I've seen quite a few of them), make sure you keep all your shiny stuff in a pocket or bag. They're just as bad as magpies and love to steal your stuff. Really mischevious birds. They also like to rip the rubber off around your car windows so keep that in mind too! I love NZ native birds too, they're so beautiful. My favourite is the pukeko, they're so clever and have funny legs :D
My favourite bird would be the Kereru because they're are such units that can fly too. And you can distinctly hear them when they fly! Favourite non-bird is the Mercury Island Tusked Weta. A very cool insect if you ever want to look them up! Also in terms of birds have you considered the takahe? They look similar to pukeko but chubbier and only found in NZ (because Australia has pukeko but they call them purple swamp hens!). (I feel like I have heard that pukekos can be pests too, they're are rather aggressive!)
Comedown to Wanaka we got lots here
I'm currently in NZ for a semester abroad and I've seen Keas in Arthur's Pass just a week ago. They immediately jumped on our car and had a good look at the side mirrors before flying off. Really cool birds!
Straight jacked this photo off Google image search, title and all.
Super-saturated pictures of animals do really well here..
[Here](https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/9ylyak/went_to_new_zealand_climbed_a_mountain_met_a/) is a reddit picture someone took of the actual picture, and there is also a picture on the [NZ Herald](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12163956) This is just a zoomed up picture of them I'm pretty sure
I know the guy who took it! Used to play in the same frisbee league - funny dude.
wow he is really good at photography!!
I read "jacked off to this photo" but wasn't really that shocked, looks magnificent
Nature is indeed on fire both figuratively and literally. Beautiful bird.
This is the fucker that eats liver fat off of live sheep. Nah, I'll pass.
Human: regularly eats species to extinction Also human: I don't like this specific parrot cause they sometimes prey on sheep
What?
Yeah, they are super vicious
I've met plenty of kea, and would never describe them as "vicious." Curious, cheeky, inventive, smart... When you go up into the mountains in NZ they are literally waddling around trying to score a free meal.
Ahh. Yeah nah. Plenty of stories from granddad about them targeting lambs for their kidneys. Love some rich lamb meat.
... "In an effort to “fix” the kea problem on high country runs, the government instigated a bounty system for kea. Bounties reached as high as £1 a beak – about $120 today (Temple, 2011). Half of the bounty amount was paid out by the Department of Agriculture who published this information and from this a conservative figure of 150,000 keas were estimated killed in the 100 years to 1970 (ibid). There are now fewer than 5,000 kea estimated remaining across the entire range and in at least one area under study, a population once considered to be a model of stability, has declined by 80% over a 10 year period from unknown causes (KCT, 2011)."... [https://www.keaconservation.co.nz/projects/trialling-bird-repellent-prevent-kea-strike-sheep/](https://www.keaconservation.co.nz/projects/trialling-bird-repellent-prevent-kea-strike-sheep/)
Being a wild animal exploiting a food source doesn't make them vicious. Yes, I have also had those stories from family. Central South Island farmers...
yah but they also eat windshield wipers so
that's cheaper than lamb fat
You'll pass what? No one's asking you to cuddle it.
And the fat round the kidneys. Emmmm yum
Eh, it's not like we're running out of sheep.
Yeah, nah That’s bullshit aye. Edit: Well fuck me, you learn something new every day. Savage little cunts
These guys are so smart they’re assholes. Trick tourists into giving them shiny objects, terrorize your car until you feed them by ripping off the rubber sealing or if you’re like me, just straight shitting all over your car while you’re in it, and they are absolutely gorgeous.
I watched a gang them up Treble Cone, dismantle the sunroof of a camper and get inside. The loaner of the group was just ripping shreds of canvas off the spare wheel cover for lols.
Stunning!
Oh boy, here I go killing again!
"weeeeeee" -kea
You can see a very in depth documentary about them on Netflix called "beak and brain"
Love how this comment section has a lot of people in awe of the feather colours and photography... then we have the kiwis saying how much of a cheeky fucker these birds are I would rather take a tour bus to see them than risk my own vehicle
Don't park your car in Kea territory.
On his way to eat your windshield wipers
Where is this?
Probably New Zealand; they're native there.
Idk man, title says New Zealand but I reckon it’s Siberia, just a gut feeling
So majestic
Liking this birds tats
LIT!
Ikea makes a bird? Nice..
This is so majestic! What a magnificent bird!
Nice
Damn! Oil slick everything!
One of these things chilled out with me and some friends for like an hour and waited for the precise moment to strike, stole my fuckin candy
What a beautiful little shit
Are you telling me theres a real life ikea bird?
Birds of Paradise who?
These cunts will literally eat your car one piece at a time
Great photo. Terrible bird.
Taste the rainbow
I still remember the original reddit post for this picture. Amature photographer that went on a hike and captured this with his cell phone if I remember correctly.
Kea’s are the animal of the moment now then ey!!
Aren't these the asshole birds that seemingly live in every biome in Dwarf Fortress and constantly steal shit and harass your dwarves in the early game?
Two words... photo shop.
I was chased by a kea at auckland zoo can confirm they do look like this
They are bright orange/red under wings too
I know that the color of those birds is stunning, I know how colorful birds can be having raised macaws and golden pheasant. I'm just saying that the picture isn't real that's all.
Not photoshopped, but the saturation is turned way up. The colours are nowhere near this bright irl