Keas are the alpine parrot found on the South Island, mostly in Fiordland National Park. They are about the size of a chicken and are not flightless like some other notable Kiwi birds. Until our Milford Tramp, we had not seen one, but had heard and read plenty about them. On the Milford, we saw and heard plenty of kea, especially at Milford Sound. They are very curious, not very fearful, and will take anything not nailed down. All of the hut wardens on the Milford cautioned us to leave nothing outside the hut on the porch. The kea are particularly fond of hiking boots. One warning we saw told us that (paraphrasing) “keas typically operate in pairs; one distracting you with its clownish antics while the other goes after your wallet, your keys, camera, sunglasses....” I saw one pecking the insulation out from a car's windshield. They start calling one another at about 4 in the AM, more of a loud, prolonged, plaintive high-pitched “meow” than a “kea.” But it can't be pining for the fiords.
Keas are the alpine parrot found on the South Island, mostly in Fiordland National Park. They are about the size of a chicken and are not flightless like some other notable Kiwi birds. Until our Milford Tramp, we had not seen one, but had heard and read plenty about them. On the Milford, we saw and heard plenty of kea, especially at Milford Sound. They are very curious, not very fearful, and will take anything not nailed down. All of the hut wardens on the Milford cautioned us to leave nothing outside the hut on the porch. The kea are particularly fond of hiking boots. One warning we saw told us that (paraphrasing) “keas typically operate in pairs; one distracting you with its clownish antics while the other goes after your wallet, your keys, camera, sunglasses....” I saw one pecking the insulation out from a car's windshield. They start calling one another at about 4 in the AM, more of a loud, prolonged, plaintive high-pitched “meow” than a “kea.” But it can't be pining for the fiords.
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