These are very smart birds. Their intelligence is supposed to rival that of the smartest primate. It is one of the few alpine parrots in the world. They can also be quite a nuisance. They strategically place themselves where humans gather. For instance, I took the picture of this one at the queue for the Homer Tunnel in Fiordland National Park. (A vehicle has to wait 15 minutes for the traffic light to turn green to proceed through the Homer Tunnel.) Kea especially like shiny objects. There have been instances where the Kea have swooped down and stolen people's car keys, leaving the dazed tourists locked out of their cars in alpine conditions. ...but they are quite fun to watch.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Kea
These are very smart birds. Their intelligence is supposed to rival that of the smartest primate. It is one of the few alpine parrots in the world. They can also be quite a nuisance. They strategically place themselves where humans gather. For instance, I took the picture of this one at the queue for the Homer Tunnel in Fiordland National Park. (A vehicle has to wait 15 minutes for the traffic light to turn green to proceed through the Homer Tunnel.) Kea especially like shiny objects. There have been instances where the Kea have swooped down and stolen people's car keys, leaving the dazed tourists locked out of their cars in alpine conditions. ...but they are quite fun to watch.
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