Lowland Kea Research
23/01/10 1:37 PM

The kea (Nestor notabilis) is well known as New Zealand's mountain parrot, and an extremely clever, cheeky national icon. Less well known are how many of these birds are forest dwellers.
Okarito Forest has its own lowland kea population. These bird spend their lives in the bush, never going to the mountains and nesting as low as only 100m above sea level. Kea can occasionally be seen around the Okarito lagoon and beach when they come down to feed on the flowering flax flowers (as well as random fly overs!)
Local researchers Brent Barret and Franny Cunninghame are currently undertaking a research project on these kea, locating nests, monitoring chicks and in some cases fitting radio transmitters so their movements can be monitored.
Kea chicks are vulnerable to possum and stoat predation, and Brent and Franny have unfortunately had a number of grisly finds among the nests they have been monitoring.
For some amazing, rarely seen pictures of kea chicks and eggs, check these links, or look in the user photos section of this site.
http://www.birdingwestcoast.co.nz/birding/birding-photo/index.cfm/photo/95/

http://www.birdingwestcoast.co.nz/birding/birding-photo/index.cfm/photo/94/

http://www.birdingwestcoast.co.nz/birding/birding-photo/index.cfm/photo/93/

RE: Lowland Kea Research
26/08/10 2:13 PM

Kea Come of Age,

The Westland Kea research project is entering its third breeding season, older, wiser and better prepared. With monitoring continuing in the unique Okarito Reserve and new monitoring in place south of Fox Glacier township we are poised for a solid year. A year which is already in full swing. We have currently got more monitored Kea nests than has ever occurred in lowland forests of New Zealand and for the first time are trialing monitoring cameras at the nest entrance. So for the first time in history we present photographs of Kea at their nest entrances withing this ecosystem. Kea are well known icons of the alpine region however within the lowland forest are a silent enigma. Proof perhaps that they really are adaptable and perhaps more complex than most New Zealanders realise. We hope to keep you up to date on our exploits as the season progresses. Until then enjoy these very rare images in their world premier direct from this site