Alpine climate is the typical climate for elevations above the tree line , where trees fail to grow due to cold. This climate is also referred to as a mountain climate or highland climate .
78-584: The kea ( / ˈ k iː ə / KEE -ə ; Māori: [kɛ.a] ; Nestor notabilis ) is a species of large parrot in the family Strigopidae that is endemic to the forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand . About 48 cm (19 in) long, it is mostly olive-green, with brilliant orange under its wings and has a large, narrow, curved, grey-brown upper beak. Its omnivorous diet consists mainly of roots, leaves, berries, nectar, and insects, but also includes carrion . It
156-420: A bird named Bruce, who has a broken upper beak, wedged pebbles between his tongue and lower mandible and then utilized this arrangement to aid with his preening habits. The controversy about whether the kea preys on sheep is long-running. Sheep suffering from unusual wounds on their sides or loins were noticed by the mid-1860s, within a decade of sheep farmers moving into the high country. Although some supposed
234-551: A certain order to get to food, and will work together to achieve a certain objective. They have been filmed preparing and using tools. The kea was described by ornithologist John Gould in 1856, from two specimens shown to him by Walter Mantell , who obtained the birds in Murihiku . Eight years earlier, some elderly Māori had told Mantell about the bird, and how it used to visit the coast in winter but had not been seen in recent times. Mantell subsequently investigated and obtained
312-604: A characteristic pressure-temperature curve. As the pressure gets lower, the temperature decreases. The rate of decrease of temperature with elevation is known as the adiabatic lapse rate , which is approximately 9.8 °C per kilometer (or 5.4 °F per 1000 feet) of altitude. The presence of water in the atmosphere complicates the process of convection. Water vapor contains latent heat of vaporization . As air rises and cools, it eventually becomes saturated and cannot hold its quantity of water vapor. The water vapor condenses (forming clouds ), and releases heat, which changes
390-611: A contributing factor in a number of recent incidents at popular tourist spots where kea have been purposely killed. Kea were eaten by Māori. They were believed by the Waitaha tribe to be kaitiaki (guardians). The kea featured on the reverse side of the New Zealand $ 10 note between 1967 and 1992, when it was replaced with the blue duck (whio). Kea are the protagonists in New Zealand author Philip Temple 's novels Beak of
468-623: A further seven had been found dead in August 2011, following a 1080 aerial possum control operation in Ōkārito Forest . Traps are also considered a risk to kea. In September 2011, hidden cameras caught kea breaking into baited stoat traps in the Matukituki Valley . More than 75% of the traps had been sprung. In the 1970s, the kea received partial protection after a census counted only 5,000 birds. The government agreed to investigate any reports of problem birds and have them removed from
546-426: A high degree of dexterity, in a similar manner to a human using their hands. A study conducted with Australian parrots has demonstrated that they exhibit " handedness ", a distinct preference with regards to the foot used to pick up food, with adult parrots being almost exclusively "left-footed" or "right-footed", and with the prevalence of each preference within the population varying by species. Cockatoo species have
624-431: A large dog. The lower mandible is shorter, with a sharp, upward-facing cutting edge, which moves against the flat part of the upper mandible in an anvil-like fashion. Touch receptors occur along the inner edges of the keratinised bill, which are collectively known as the " bill tip organ ", allowing for highly dexterous manipulations. Seed-eating parrots have a strong tongue (containing similar touch receptors to those in
702-437: A mirror. In one study, nest sites occur at a density of one per 4.4 square kilometres (1.7 sq mi). The breeding areas are most commonly in southern beech ( Nothofagus ) forests, located on steep mountainsides. Breeding at heights of 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) above sea level and higher, it is one of the few parrot species in the world to regularly spend time above the tree line . Nest sites are usually positioned on
780-467: A mobile crest of feathers on the top of their heads, which they can raise for display, and retract. No other parrots can do so, but the Pacific lorikeets in the genera Vini and Phigys can ruffle the feathers of the crown and nape, and the red-fan parrot (or hawk-headed parrot) has a prominent feather neck frill that it can raise and lower at will. The predominant colour of plumage in parrots
858-491: A mountain is roughly equivalent to moving 80 kilometres (50 miles or 0.75° of latitude ) towards the pole. This relationship is only approximate, however, since local factors, such as proximity to oceans , can drastically modify the climate. As the altitude increases, the main form of precipitation becomes snow and the winds increase. The temperature continues to drop until the tropopause , at 11,000 metres (36,000 ft), where it does not decrease further. This
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#1732782411167936-409: A population of between 3000 and 7000 individuals. Parrot Parrots ( Psittaciformes ), also known as psittacines ( / ˈ s ɪ t ə s aɪ n z / ), are birds with a strong curved beak , upright stance, and clawed feet. They are classified in four families that contain roughly 410 species in 101 genera , found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions. The four families are
1014-444: A progression from scavenging dead sheep and hides have all been put forward as to how the behaviour was first acquired. Anecdotal evidence also suggests only particular birds have learned the behaviour, with identification and removal of those individuals being sufficient to control the problem. There are also anecdotal reports of kea attacking rabbits, dogs, and even horses. There are also suggestions that kea used to feed on moa in
1092-470: A similar way. Kea, which are social, have been found to have a level of high cognitive ability, with the capacity to solve complex tasks. This curiosity and urge to explore and investigate makes this bird both a pest for residents and an attraction for tourists. In 2017 the kea was voted New Zealand Bird of the Year in a campaign to raise awareness about the country's endangered wildlife. Called "the clown of
1170-539: A small genus restricted to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. The superfamily Strigopoidea contains three living species of aberrant parrots from New Zealand. The broad-tailed parrots, subfamily Platycercinae , are restricted to Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific islands as far eastwards as Fiji . The true parrot superfamily, Psittacoidea, includes a range of species from Australia and New Guinea to South Asia and Africa. The centre of cockatoo biodiversity
1248-433: A wide frontal binocular field for a bird, although this is nowhere near as large as primate binocular visual fields. Unlike humans, the vision of parrots is also sensitive to ultraviolet light. Parrots have strong zygodactyl feet (two toes facing forward and two back) with sharp, elongated claws, which are used for climbing and swinging. Most species are capable of using their feet to manipulate food and other objects with
1326-748: Is Australia and New Guinea, although some species reach the Solomon Islands (and one formerly occurred in New Caledonia ), Wallacea and the Philippines. Several parrots inhabit the cool, temperate regions of South America and New Zealand . Three species—the thick-billed parrot , the green parakeet , and the now-extinct Carolina parakeet —have lived as far north as the southern United States. Many parrots, especially monk parakeets , have been introduced to areas with temperate climates, and have established stable populations in parts of
1404-512: Is between 1.5 and 3 °C (34.7 and 37.4 °F). The alpine climate in Holdridge system is roughly equivalent to the warmest tundra climates (ET) in the Köppen system. b) the alvar climate, the coldest mountain climate since the biotemperature is between 0 °C and 1.5 °C (biotemperature can never be below 0 °C). It corresponds more or less to the coldest tundra climates and to
1482-548: Is divided by the number of all temperatures (including both adjusted and non-adjusted ones). The variability of the alpine climate throughout the year depends on the latitude of the location. For tropical oceanic locations, such as the summit of Mauna Loa , the temperature is roughly constant throughout the year. For mid-latitude locations, such as Mount Washington in New Hampshire , the temperature varies seasonally, but never gets very warm. The temperature profile of
1560-405: Is green, though most species have some red or another colour in small quantities. Cockatoos, however, are predominately black or white with some red, pink, or yellow. Strong sexual dimorphism in plumage is not typical among parrots, with some notable exceptions, the most striking being the eclectus parrot . However, it has been shown that some parrot species exhibit sexually dimorphic plumage in
1638-562: Is high among young kea, with less than 40% surviving their first year. The median lifespan of a wild subadult kea has been estimated at five years, based on the proportion of kea seen again in successive seasons in Arthur's Pass, and allowing for some emigration to surrounding areas. Around 10% of the local kea population were expected to be over 20 years of age. The oldest known captive kea was 50 years old in 2008. Kea parrots have strong cognitive abilities. According to recent studies, Kea share
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#17327824111671716-1091: Is higher than the highest summit . Although this climate classification only covers a small portion of the Earth's surface, alpine climates are widely distributed. They are present in the Himalayas , the Tibetan Plateau , Gansu , Qinghai and Mount Lebanon in Asia ; the Alps , the Urals , the Pyrenees , the Cantabrian Mountains and the Sierra Nevada in Europe ; the Andes in South America ;
1794-406: Is hot, it tends to expand, which lowers its density. Thus, hot air tends to rise and transfer heat upward. This is the process of convection . Convection comes to equilibrium when a parcel of air at a given altitude has the same density as its surroundings. Air is a poor conductor of heat, so a parcel of air will rise and fall without exchanging heat. This is known as an adiabatic process , which has
1872-407: Is in South America and Australasia . Parrots—along with ravens, crows, jays, and magpies —are among the most intelligent birds, and the ability of some species to imitate human speech enhances their popularity as pets . They form the most variably sized bird order in terms of length; many are vividly coloured and some, multi-coloured. Most parrots exhibit little or no sexual dimorphism in
1950-626: Is not from a bird, but from a caenagnathid oviraptorosaur (a non-avian dinosaur with a birdlike beak), as several details of the fossil used to support its identity as a parrot are not actually exclusive to parrots, and it is dissimilar to the earliest-known unequivocal parrot fossils. It is generally assumed that the Psittaciformes were present during the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event (K-Pg extinction), 66 mya. They were probably generalised arboreal birds, and did not have
2028-509: Is one of nine living endemic parrot species in New Zealand . The kea ranges from lowland river valleys and coastal forests of the South Island's west coast up to alpine regions of the South Island such as Arthur's Pass and Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park . It is closely associated throughout its range with the southern beech ( Nothofagus ) forests in the alpine ridge. Apart from occasional vagrants, kea today are not found in
2106-580: The Early Miocene around 20 mya. The name 'Psittaciformes' comes from the ancient Greek for parrot, ψιττακός ( 'Psittacus' ), whose origin is unclear. Ctesias (5th century BCE) recorded the name Psittacus after the Indian name for a bird, most likely a parakeet (now placed in the genus Psittacula ). Pliny the Elder (23/24–79 CE) in his Natural History (book 10, chapter 58) noted that
2184-646: The IUCN Red List and protected by law, kea are still deliberately shot. For example, in the late 1990s, a Fox Glacier resident killed 33 kea in the glacier car park and in 2008, two kea were shot in Arthur's Pass and stapled to a sign. Kea deaths due to traffic have prompted the NZ Transport Agency to install signs to help raise awareness, and to encourage people to slow down if necessary. In Fiordland National Park, there have been concerns that kea are particularly at risk from road traffic at
2262-507: The Köppen climate classification , the alpine and mountain climates are part of group E , along with the polar climate , where no month has a mean temperature higher than 10 °C (50 °F). According to the Holdridge life zone system, there are two mountain climates which prevent tree growth : a) the alpine climate, which occurs when the mean biotemperature of a location
2340-546: The Philippines in the north to Australia and across the Pacific as far as French Polynesia , with the greatest diversity being found in and around New Guinea . The subfamily Arinae encompasses all the neotropical parrots, including the amazons, macaws, and conures, and ranges from northern Mexico and the Bahamas to Tierra del Fuego in the southern tip of South America. The pygmy parrots, tribe Micropsittini , form
2418-533: The Psittaculidae (Old World parrots), Psittacidae (African and New World parrots), Cacatuoidea (cockatoos), and Strigopidae (New Zealand parrots). One-third of all parrot species are threatened by extinction , with a higher aggregate extinction risk ( IUCN Red List Index ) than any other comparable bird group. Parrots have a generally pantropical distribution with several species inhabiting temperate regions as well. The greatest diversity of parrots
Kea - Misplaced Pages Continue
2496-942: The Sierra Nevada , the Cascade Range , the Rocky Mountains , the northern Appalachian Mountains ( Adirondacks and White Mountains ), and the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt in North America ; the Southern Alps in New Zealand ; the Snowy Mountains in Australia ; high elevations in the Atlas Mountains , Ethiopian Highlands , and Eastern Highlands of Africa ; the central parts of Borneo and New Guinea ; and
2574-497: The United Kingdom and Joeys in Australia ) is named after the bird. In the video game Dwarf Fortress , kea are one of many species of animals that will steal the player's items. Together with local councils and runholders, the New Zealand government paid a bounty for kea bills because the bird preyed upon livestock, mainly sheep. It was intended that hunters would kill kea only on the farms and council areas that paid
2652-575: The United States (including New York City ), the United Kingdom , Belgium , Spain , and Greece . These birds can be quite successful in introduced areas, such as the non-native population of red-crowned amazons in the U.S. which may rival that of their native Mexico. The only parrot to inhabit alpine climates is the kea , which is endemic to the Southern Alps mountain range on New Zealand's South Island . Alpine climate There are multiple definitions of alpine climate. In
2730-429: The buff-faced pygmy parrot , at under 10 g (0.4 oz) in weight and 8 cm (3.1 in) in length, to the hyacinth macaw , at 1 m (3.3 ft) in length, and the kākāpō , at 4.0 kg (8.8 lb) in weight. Among the superfamilies, the three extant Strigopoidea species are all large parrots, and the cockatoos tend to be large birds, as well. The Psittacoidea parrots are far more variable, ranging
2808-410: The ice cap climates (EF) as well. Holdrige reasoned that plants net primary productivity ceases with plants becoming dormant at temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F) and above 30 °C (86 °F). Therefore, he defined biotemperature as the mean of all temperatures but with all temperatures below freezing and above 30 °C adjusted to 0 °C; that is, the sum of temperatures not adjusted
2886-628: The order may have evolved in Gondwana , centred in Australasia. The scarcity of parrots in the fossil record, however, presents difficulties in confirming the hypothesis. There is currently a higher number of fossil remains from the northern hemisphere in the early Cenozoic. Molecular studies suggest that parrots evolved approximately 59 million years ago (Mya) (range 66–51 Mya) in Gondwana. The Neotropical Parrots are monophyletic , and
2964-472: The pet trade , as well as hunting , habitat loss , and competition from invasive species , has diminished wild populations, with parrots being subjected to more exploitation than any other group of wild birds. As of 2021, about 50 million parrots (half of all parrots) live in captivity, with the vast majority of these living as pets in people's homes. Measures taken to conserve the habitats of some high-profile charismatic species have also protected many of
3042-653: The Indians called the bird "siptaces"; however, no matching Indian name has been traced. Popinjay is an older term for parrots, first used in English in the 1500s. Molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that Psittaciformes form a monophyletic clade that is sister to the Passeriformes : The time calibrated phylogeny indicates that the Australaves diverged around 65 Ma (million years ago) and
3120-537: The Moon (1981) and Dark of the Moon (1993), recounting respectively the first encounters of a group of kea with humans at the time of the colonisation of the South Island by Māori , and their life in present-day, human-dominated New Zealand. Sentient Kea also features as prominent characters in the Orson Scott Card novel The Last Shadow . The youngest section of Scouts New Zealand (known as Beavers in
3198-518: The North Island. Subfossil kea bones have been found in sand dunes at Mataikona in the eastern Wairarapa , Poukawa near Hastings , and Waitomo , indicating that they ranged through lowland forest over much of the North Island until the arrival of Polynesian settlers about 750 years ago. Kea subfossils are not restricted to alpine areas, being commonly found in lowland or coastal sites in the South Island. The current distribution of kea reflects
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3276-596: The October 2018 issue that the birds would do well on Mount Ruapehu . Kea conservation is supported by the NGO Kea Conservation Trust , founded in 2006 to protect kea. The total kea population was estimated at between 1,000 and 5,000 individuals in 1986, contrasting with another estimate of 15,000 birds in 1992. The kea's widespread distribution at low density across inaccessible areas prevents accurate estimates. Estimates published in 2017 suggest
3354-516: The Psittaciformes diverged from the Passeriformes around 62 Ma. Cariamiformes – seriemas Falconiformes – falcons Passeriformes – songbirds Psittaciformes – parrots Most taxonomists now divide Psittaciformes into four families: Strigopidae (New Zealand parrots), Cacatuidae (Cockatoos), Psittacidae (African and New World parrots) and Psittaculidae (Old World parrots). In 2012 Leo Joseph and collaborators proposed that
3432-659: The Psittacoidea, but the former is now placed at the base of the parrot tree next to the remaining members of the Psittacoidea, as well as all members of the Cacatuoidea. The Cacatuoidea are quite distinct, having a movable head crest, a different arrangement of the carotid arteries, a gall bladder , differences in the skull bones, and lack the Dyck texture feathers that—in the Psittacidae—scatter light to produce
3510-470: The ability to have sense of impulsive control and planning forward. Kea can wait up to 160 seconds for a more preferred reward. In addition, Kea also use trial and error tactics and use observational leaning to solve difficult problems and when tasked with puzzles and locks. These abilities of decision-making are similar to primates and other intelligent bird species like the African grey parrot. An omnivore,
3588-471: The atmosphere is a result of an interaction between radiation and convection . Sunlight in the visible spectrum hits the ground and heats it. The ground then heats the air at the surface. If radiation were the only way to transfer heat from the ground to space, the greenhouse effect of gases in the atmosphere would keep the ground at roughly 333 K (60 °C; 140 °F), and the temperature would decay exponentially with height. However, when air
3666-423: The bill tip organ), which helps to manipulate seeds or position nuts in the bill so that the mandibles can apply an appropriate cracking force. The head is large, with eyes positioned high and laterally in the skull, so the visual field of parrots is unlike any other birds. Without turning its head, a parrot can see from just below its bill tip, all above its head, and quite far behind its head. Parrots also have quite
3744-420: The birds. The kea's Latin binomial specific epithet , notabilis , means "noteworthy". The common name kea is from Māori , probably an onomatopoeic representation of their in-flight call – 'keee aaa'. The word "kea" is both singular and plural. The genus Nestor contains four species: the New Zealand kākā ( Nestor meridionalis ), the kea ( N. notabilis ), the extinct Norfolk kākā ( N. productus ), and
3822-715: The bounty, but some hunted them in national parks and in Westland , where they were officially protected. More than 150,000 were killed in the hundred years before 1970, when the bounty was lifted. A study of kea numbers in Nelson Lakes National Park showed a substantial decline in the population between 1999 and 2009, caused primarily by predation of kea eggs and chicks. Video cameras set up to monitor kea nests in South Westland showed that possums killed kea fledglings. Lead poisoning , mostly from
3900-504: The cause was a new disease, suspicion soon fell on the kea. James MacDonald, head shepherd at Wanaka Station, witnessed a kea attacking a sheep in 1868, and similar accounts were widespread. Prominent members of the scientific community accepted that kea attacked sheep, with Alfred Wallace citing this as an example of behavioural change in his 1889 book Darwinism . Thomas Potts noted that attacks were most frequent during winter and snow-bound sheep with two years growth in their fleece were
3978-434: The effects of mammalian predators, including humans, which have driven them out of lowland forests into the mountains. At least one observer has reported that the kea is polygynous , with one male attached to multiple females. The same source also noted that there was a surplus of females. Kea are social and live in groups of up to 13 birds. Isolated individuals do badly in captivity, but respond well to seeing themselves in
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#17327824111674056-501: The entertainment and annoyance of human observers. They are often described as "cheeky". A kea has even been reported to have made off with the passport of a tourist who was visiting Fiordland National Park . The Department of Conservation also suggested that the time savings resulting from a more calorie-rich diet will give kea more free time to investigate and hence damage things at campsites and car parks. The birds' naturally trusting behaviour around humans has also been indicated as
4134-531: The entrance to the Homer Tunnel . Kea have been regularly observed on the roadway, moving amongst vehicles waiting to pass through the one-way tunnel. People feeding the birds was one cause of the problem. In 2017, a gym for kea was built near the Homer tunnel entrance, in an attempt to lure the birds away from the road. A citizen science project called the "Kea Database" was launched in 2017 that allows for
4212-722: The extinct Chatham kākā ( N. chathamensis ). All four are thought to stem from a "proto-kākā", dwelling in the forests of New Zealand five million years ago. Their closest relative is the flightless kākāpō ( Strigops habroptilus ). Together, they form the parrot superfamily Strigopoidea , an ancient group that split off from all other Psittacidae before their radiation. The kea is a large parrot measuring 46 to 50 cm (18 to 20 in) in total length, with some specimens possibly reaching 55 cm (22 in). Adult kea weigh between 750 and 1,000 g (1.65 and 2.20 lb), with males averaging 956 g (2.108 lb) and females averaging 779 g (1.717 lb). One source listed
4290-452: The full spectrum of sizes shown by the family. The most obvious physical characteristic is the strong, curved, broad bill. The upper mandible is prominent, curves downward, and comes to a point. It is not fused to the skull, which allows it to move independently, and contributes to the tremendous biting pressure the birds are able to exert. A large macaw, for example, has a bite force of 35 kg/cm (500 lb/sq in), close to that of
4368-485: The ground underneath large beech trees, in rock crevices, or dug burrows between roots. They are accessed by tunnels leading back 1 to 6 metres (3.3 to 19.7 ft) into a larger chamber, which is furnished with lichens, moss, ferns, and rotting wood. The laying period starts in July and reaches into January. Two to five white eggs are laid, with an incubation time of around 21 days, and a brooding period of 94 days. Mortality
4446-483: The kea feeds on more than 40 plant species, beetle larvae, grasshoppers, land snails, other birds (including shearwater chicks ), and mammals (including sheep, rabbits and mice). It has been observed breaking open shearwater nests to feed on the chicks after hearing the chicks in their nests. It enjoys the flesh and bone marrow from carcasses. The kea has also taken advantage of human garbage and "gifts" of food. Tool use behavior has been observed in this species, wherein
4524-559: The kea uses its powerful, curved beak and claws to rip through the layer of wool and eat the fat from the back of the animal. Though the bird does not directly kill the sheep, death can result from infections or accidents suffered by animals when trying to escape. Since kea are now a protected species, their depredations are generally tolerated by sheep farmers, though why some kea attack sheep, and others do not, remains unclear. Various theories, including similarities with existing food sources, curiosity, entertainment, hunger, maggots as well as
4602-705: The land. In 1986 it was given absolute protection under the Wildlife Act 1953 . Kea are also listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) meaning international export/import (including parts and derivatives) is regulated. Despite being classified as Nationally Endangered in the New Zealand Threat Classification System and endangered in
4680-440: The lapse rate from the dry adiabatic lapse rate to the moist adiabatic lapse rate (5.5 °C per kilometre or 3 °F per 1000 feet). The actual lapse rate, called the environmental lapse rate , is not constant (it can fluctuate throughout the day or seasonally and also regionally), but a normal lapse rate is 5.5 °C per 1,000 m (3.57 °F per 1,000 ft). Therefore, moving up 100 metres (330 ft) on
4758-495: The less charismatic species living in the same ecosystems . Parrots are the only creatures that display true tripedalism , using their necks and beaks as limbs with propulsive forces equal to or greater than those forces generated by the forelimbs of primates when climbing vertical surfaces. They can travel with cyclical tripedal gaits when climbing. Psittaciform diversity in South America and Australasia suggests that
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#17327824111674836-399: The mean adult weight as 922 g (2.033 lb) It has mostly olive-green plumage with a grey beak having a long, narrow, curved upper beak. The adult has dark-brown irises , and the cere , eyerings , and legs are grey. It has orange feathers on the undersides of its wings. The feathers on the sides of its face are dark olive-brown, the ones on its back and rump are orange-red, and some of
4914-594: The most vulnerable, while newly-shorn sheep in warm weather were rarely molested. Despite substantial anecdotal evidence of sheep attacks, others remained unconvinced, especially in later years. For instance, in 1962, animal specialist J.R. Jackson concluded, while the bird may attack sick or injured sheep, especially if it mistook them for dead, it was not a significant predator. In August 1992, however, its nocturnal assaults were captured on video, proving that at least some kea will attack and feed on healthy sheep. The video confirmed what many scientists had long suspected: that
4992-518: The mountains", it will investigate backpacks, boots, skis, snowboards, and even cars, often causing damage or flying off with smaller items. Kea have been kept as pets before being protected, but rarely, since they were difficult to capture and destructive when in captivity. People commonly encounter wild kea at South Island ski areas, where they are attracted by the prospect of food scraps. Their curiosity leads them to peck and carry away unguarded items of clothing, or to pry apart rubber parts of cars – to
5070-548: The natural curiosity of kea which has enabled the species to adapt to its extreme environment, may increase its propensity to poisoning through ingestion of lead – i.e. the more investigative behaviours identified in a bird, the higher its blood lead levels were likely to be. The 1080 pesticide is used to control invasive pest mammals such as stoats and possums and has also been implicated in kea deaths. For example, seven kea were found dead following an aerial possum control operation using 1080, at Fox Glacier in July 2008 and
5148-512: The outer wing feathers are dull blue. It has a short, broad, bluish-green tail with a black tip. Feather shafts project at the tip of the tail and the undersides of the inner tail feathers have yellow-orange transverse stripes. The male is about 5% longer than the female, and the male's upper beak is 12–14% longer than the female's. Juveniles generally resemble adults, but have yellow eyerings and cere, an orange-yellow lower beak, and grey-yellow legs. [REDACTED] Kea call: The kea
5226-476: The parrots should be divided into six families. The New Zealand parrots in the genus Nestor were placed in a separate family Nestoridae and the two basal genera in the family Psittaculidae ( Psittrichas and Coracopsis ) were placed in a separate family Psittrichasidae. The two additional families have not been recognised by taxonomists involved in curating lists of world birds and instead only four families are recognised. The following cladogram shows
5304-803: The phylogenetic relationships between the four families. The species numbers are taken from the list maintained by Frank Gill , Pamela Rasmussen and David Donsker on behalf of the International Ornithological Committee (IOC), now the International Ornithologists' Union . Strigopidae – New Zealand parrots (4 species) Cacatuidae – Cockatoos (22 species) Psittacidae – African and New World parrots (179 species) Psittaculidae – Old World parrots (203 species) The Psittaciformes comprise three main lineages: Strigopoidea , Psittacoidea and Cacatuoidea . The Strigopoidea were considered part of
5382-444: The recording of kea observations to an online database. If the recorded kea are banded, it is possible to match observations with individual named birds, enabling the monitoring of the habits and behaviour of individual kea. Some are calling for kea to be reintroduced into predator-free zones on the North Island. A former curator of Natural History at Whanganui Regional Museum , Dr Mike Dickison , told North & South magazine in
5460-546: The roofs of buildings/building materials, is also a significant cause of premature deaths among kea. Research on lead toxicity in kea living at Aoraki / Mount Cook found that of 38 live kea tested all were found to have detectable blood lead levels, 26 considered dangerously high. Additional analysis of 15 dead kea sent to Massey University for diagnostic pathology between 1991 and 1997 found 9 bodies to have lead blood levels consistent with causing death. Research conducted by Victoria University in 2008 confirmed that
5538-500: The specialised crushing bills of modern species. Genomic analysis provides strong evidence that parrots are the sister group of passerines , forming the clade Psittacopasserae , which is the sister group of the falcons . The first uncontroversial parrot fossils date to tropical Eocene Europe around 50 mya. Initially, a neoavian named Mopsitta tanta , uncovered in Denmark's Early Eocene Fur Formation and dated to 54 mya,
5616-661: The three major clades originated about 50 Mya (range 57–41 Mya). A single 15 mm (0.6 in) fragment from a large lower bill ( UCMP 143274), found in deposits from the Lance Creek Formation in Niobrara County, Wyoming , had been thought to be the oldest parrot fossil and is presumed to have originated from the Late Cretaceous period, which makes it about 70 million years old. However, other studies suggest that this fossil
5694-664: The tribe Cyclopsittini ) and budgerigar (tribe Melopsittacini). Strigopidae Cacatuidae Neotropical parrots Psittacinae Psittrichadinae Coracopseinae Psittaculinae Broad-tailed parrots Fig parrots Budgerigar Lories and Lorikeets Bolbopsittacus Hanging parrots Lovebirds Psittacella The order Psittaciformes consists of four families containing roughly 410 species belonging to 101 genera. Superfamily Strigopoidea : New Zealand parrots Superfamily Cacatuoidea : cockatoos Superfamily Psittacoidea : true parrots Living species range in size from
5772-459: The ultraviolet spectrum, normally invisible to humans. Parrots are found on all tropical and subtropical continents and regions including Australia and Oceania , South Asia , Southeast Asia , Central America , South America , and Africa . Some Caribbean and Pacific islands are home to endemic species . By far the greatest number of parrot species come from Australasia and South America. The lories and lorikeets range from Sulawesi and
5850-443: The vibrant colours of so many parrots. Colourful feathers with high levels of psittacofulvin resist the feather-degrading bacterium Bacillus licheniformis better than white ones. Lorikeets were previously regarded as a third family, Loriidae, but are now considered a tribe ( Loriini ) within the subfamily Loriinae , family Psittaculidae. The two other tribes in the subfamily are the closely related fig parrots (two genera in
5928-453: The visual spectrum. The most important components of most parrots' diets are seeds, nuts, fruit, buds, and other plant material. A few species sometimes eat animals and carrion , while the lories and lorikeets are specialised for feeding on floral nectar and soft fruits. Almost all parrots nest in tree hollows (or nest boxes in captivity), and lay white eggs from which hatch altricial (helpless) young. Trapping wild parrots for
6006-798: Was assigned to the Psittaciformes. However, the rather nondescript bone is not unequivocally psittaciform, and it may rather belong to the ibis genus Rhynchaeites , whose fossil legs were found in the same deposits. Several fairly complete skeletons of parrot-like birds have been found in England and Germany. These are probably not transitional fossils between ancestral and modern parrots, but rather lineages that evolved parallel to true parrots and cockatoos: The earliest records of modern parrots date to around 23–20 mya. The fossil record—mainly from Europe—consists of bones clearly recognisable as belonging to anatomically modern parrots. The Southern Hemisphere contains no known parrot-like remains earlier than
6084-449: Was once killed for bounty due to concern by sheep-farmers that it attacked livestock, especially sheep. The kea is now uncommon, and received absolute protection under the Wildlife Act in 1986. The kea nests in burrows or crevices among the roots of trees. Kea are known for their intelligence and curiosity , both vital to their survival in a harsh mountain environment. Kea can solve logical puzzles, such as pushing and pulling things in
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