Kea

Description

The kea (/ˈkiː.ə/;Māori: [kɛ.a];Nestor notabilis) is a large species of parrot in the family Nestoridae found in forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand.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 is the world's only alpine parrot.Its omnivorous diet includes carrion,but consists mainly of roots,leaves,berries,nectar,and insects.Now uncommon,the kea was once killed for bounty due to concerns by the sheep-farming community that it attacked livestock,especially sheep.In 1986,it received full protection under the Wildlife Act.The kea is a large parrot about 48 cm (19 in) long and weighs between 800 grams (1.8 lb) and 1 kilogram (2.2 lb).It has mostly olive-green plumage with a grey beak having a long,narrow,curved upper beak.The adult has dark-brown irises,and the cere,eyerings,and legs are grey.It has orange feathers on the undersides of its wings.The feathers on the sides of its face are dark olive-brown,feathers on its back and rump are orange-red,and some of the outer wing are dull-blue.It has a short,broad,bluish-green tail with a black tip.Feather shafts project at the tip of the tail and the undersides of the inner tail feathers have yellow-orange transverse stripes.The male is about 5% longer than the female,and the male's upper beak is 12–14% longer than the female's.Juveniles generally resemble adults,but have yellow eyerings and cere,an orange-yellow lower beak,and grey-yellow legs.