Īpart from occasional vagrants, kea today are not found in the North Island. It is closely associated throughout its range with the southern beech ( Nothofagus) forests in the alpine ridge. The kea ranges from lowland river valleys and coastal forests of the South Island's west coast up to alpine regions of the South Island such as Arthur's Pass and Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park. The kea is one of nine living endemic parrot species in New Zealand. Juveniles generally resemble adults, but have yellow eyerings and cere, an orange-yellow lower beak, and grey-yellow legs. The male is about 5% longer than the female, and the male's upper beak is 12–14% longer than the female's. Feather shafts project at the tip of the tail and the undersides of the inner tail feathers have yellow-orange transverse stripes. It has a short, broad, bluish-green tail with a black tip. The feathers on the sides of its face are dark olive-brown, the ones on its back and rump are orange-red, and some of the outer wing feathers are dull blue. It has orange feathers on the undersides of its wings. The adult has dark-brown irises, and the cere, eyerings, and legs are grey. One source listed the mean adult weight as 922 g (2.033 lb) It has mostly olive-green plumage with a grey beak having a long, narrow, curved upper beak. The kea is a large parrot measuring 46 to 50 cm (18 to 20 in) in total length, with some specimens possibly reaching 55 cm (22 in). Orange feathers can be seen under the wing during flight Together, they form the parrot superfamily Strigopoidea, an ancient group that split off from all other Psittacidae before their radiation. Their closest relative is the flightless kākāpō ( Strigops habroptilus). All four are thought to stem from a "proto-kākā", dwelling in the forests of New Zealand five million years ago. productus), and the extinct Chatham kākā ( N. notabilis), the extinct Norfolk kākā ( N. The genus Nestor contains four species: the New Zealand kākā ( Nestor meridionalis), the kea ( N. The word "kea" is both singular and plural. The common name kea is from Māori, probably an onomatopoeic representation of their in-flight call – 'keee aaa'. Its specific epithet, the Latin term notabilis, means "noteworthy". Mantell investigated and obtained the birds in Murihiku. Some elderly Māori had told Mantell about the bird around eight years previously and how it used to visit the coast in winter but had not been seen in recent times. The kea was described by ornithologist John Gould in 1856, from two specimens shown to him by Walter Mantell. They have been filmed preparing and using tools. 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. Kea are known for their intelligence and curiosity, both vital to their survival in a harsh mountain environment. The kea nests in burrows or crevices among the roots of trees. In 1986, it received absolute protection under the Wildlife Act. Now uncommon, the kea was once killed for bounty due to concerns by the sheep-farming community that it attacked livestock, especially sheep. Its omnivorous diet includes carrion, but consists mainly of roots, leaves, berries, nectar, and insects. About 48 cm (19 in) long, it is mostly olive-green with a brilliant orange under its wings and has a large, narrow, curved, grey-brown upper beak. The kea ( / ˈ k iː ə/ KEE-ə Māori: Nestor notabilis) is a species of large parrot in the family Nestoridae found in the forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand.
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