This Kea is a species of parrot, native only to the forest and alpine regions of New Zealand's South Island. It is unique as it is one of the only alpine parrots in the world and is a protected species today, but used to be hunted until 1986 due to its affiliation to kill livestock, including sheep, angering farmers who would kill them and receive money for their bodies. It was only once their numbers were so depleted that the New Zealand government decided they needed protection.
As can be seen in the curious nature of the Kea here, the birds are known for their intelligence and their curiosity and as they thrive in a harsh mountain environment, both these attributes come in handy. They often work in teams to solve problems as well, and have even been known to solve puzzles.
Most tourists find these birds in the ski resorts of New Zealand, and are described as 'cheeky' as they like to take an interest in whatever is going on in human life - from pecking at scraps of food and clothing, to most expensive items, such as the car antenna seen here. This is just one of seven parrot species that are native to New Zealand.
Cheeky Kea, Nestor notabilis, taking an interest in a car antenna near the Homer Tunnel along the Milford Road, Darran Mountains, Fiordland National Park, Fiordland, South Island, New Zealand.
I photographed this photo with the digital SLR camera model Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II, aperture of f/5.6, exposure time of 1/160 sec. on ISO 200, as always I used a original Canon Lens, the focus lenght for this picture was 250mm.
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