NESTORS. 



95 



The habitat of the kea is very different from that of its cousin. In place of 

 being confined to wooded districts, this bird frequents the ahiiost inaccessible 

 rocks of the mountains of the South Island at elevations where only dwarf 

 vegetation is to be found. Here the keas may be seen among the crevices of the 

 rocks when the mountains are shrouded in mist or sleet, or covered with a mantle 

 of snow ; while at other 



times they may be observed 

 soaring with motionless 

 wings from peak to peak. 

 During the depth of winter 

 these birds are, however, 

 driven to seek their food at 

 lower elevations. The usual 

 cry of the kea has been com- 

 pared to the mewing of a 

 cat, but a scream not unlike 

 that of the kaka is also 

 uttered at times. The most 

 remarkable feature in con- 

 nection with the habits of 

 the kea is its carnivorous 

 propensities, which appear 

 to have been developed since 

 the introduction of sheep 

 into the colony, and have 

 led to a great increase in the 

 number of these birds. Sir 

 W. Buller writes that those 

 keas which " frequent the 

 sheep-stations appear to live 

 almost exclusively on flesh. 

 They claim the sheeps' heads 

 that are thrown out from the 

 slaughter - shed, and pick 

 them perfectly clean, leaving 

 nothing but the bones. The 

 plan usually adopted on the 

 stations for alluring this bird, 

 is to expose a fresh sheep- 

 skin on the roof of a hut ; and whilst engaged in tearing up the bait, it is 

 easily approached and snared. Of recent years the keas have gone even farther 

 than this, and now actually kill sheep for themselves, ahghting upon the backs of 

 the unfortunate Ruminants, and tearing down through the skin and flesh until 

 they reach the kidneys, the fat of which is greedily devoured. In disposition keas 

 display extreme cuiiosity, and in the mountains they display so little fear of man 

 that they may easily be knocked over with a stone." 



PHILLIP ISLAND P.VRROT. 



