The Kepler Ranger. Meet the Kea, the only truly alpine parrot in the world. They are endangered, with a very rough estimate of about 3,000 left in the wild. I encountered this alpine ranger in December 2020 on the Kepler ridge in Fiordland National Park, South Island of New Zealand.
To be honest, that wasn’t actually my first time to encounter the Kea in the wild. Although that Kepler Ranger was on his own and was keeping an eye on all the people ascending and crossing the Kepler ridge, when they’re younger they hang around with their mates.
The young Keas are easily identifiable. They’ve got yellow colouring around their eyes. I encountered a raucous group in the Temple Basin area in Arthur’s Pass National Park. They are so curious that they came close and even one of them untied my boot laces. Definitely more curious than afraid of us.
Keas are also considered to be one of the most intelligent (if not, the most intelligent) birds in this 3rd rock from the sun. Recently, researchers have observed these fellas using tools. One Kea in particular, Bruce, who lives in captivity as his upper beak is missing, has adapted to his predicament by using tools to preen and do some other stuff!
I have always followed the advice that when you do encounter these birds, to NOT feed them, but enjoy their company, take photos, and report the sighting to the Kea Database. Do stash away anything they can peck and fly off with!
There’s a lot more resources about Keas at the Kea Conservation Trust. :)
