Protecting Kea

About Kea 

The endangered Kea is one of the most intelligent birds in the world. There is estimated to be only 1000-5000 left in New Zealand and their conservation status is classified as Threatened–Nationally Endangered (ie facing high risk of extinction in the short term). Some of the main threats to Kea in our environment are predation (by stoats, feral cats, possums, rats), poisoning (from lead nails/flashings, bait stations etc), unsuitable ground-based trapping devices, avian diseases, deliberate killing, and accidents with human objects (cars etc).

We know we have Kea regularly visiting Lake Kaniere here’s a few things you can do to help them live safely in our environment:

Report sightings of Kea

We know they visit but we don’t know how often they are here, how many there are and where they like to hang out.  One way to get this information is to record every siting on the kea database – this helps build a picture of their visits for researchers and our local trapping operation (ie times of the year, how many are seen and who they are (if you can get close enough to take a picture of their band) ). You can make a report on this website

 https://keadatabase.nz/report

Keep Kea safe and protect your property from damage

Living with Kea (insert link) provides some good information on how to keep the Kea safe while they are visiting, how you should or should not interact with them and how to minimise any damaging behaviour they might do around your property.  

https://www.keaconservation.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Kea-Conflict-Guide-WEB.pdf

If you are thinking about installing a trap or bait station it would be great to check first if its Kea safe – this document provides a list and recommended /not recommended traps.

https://www.keaconservation.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Safe-Pest-Control-in-Kea-Habitat_2022_FINAL-1.pdf.

Also if you have a Good Nature Trap A24 trap in your backyard you can now buy a Kea excluder directly from the Good Nature that will prevent Kea deaths.  

If you are experiencing damage to your property from Kea first read the ‘Living with Kea’ document to see if you can make changes to your property to make it less attractive to the Kea.  You can also contact the Kea Conservation Trust for more assistance and ideas (please share these ideas with the community as well).  

Want to learn more about Kea?

If you want to find out more about these amazing birds and conservation efforts to protect them these websites are excellent

https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/kea/

https://www.keaconservation.co.nz/