The small Kea parrot (Nestor notabilis) found in the mountains and forests of New Zealand is said to be capable of killing a whole sheep.
In general, Kea are omnivores, feeding on adult insects and their larvae, worms, which the bird gets from under stones and among the ground vegetation, at certain times of the year feeds on the nectar of flowers and fruits. However, they also do not disdain carrion.
So can they kill the sheep?
It happens that kea feed on dead sheep in winter, but it happens that one or two parrots from a flock attack living sheep. Parrots sit on the ground next to a potential victim, and then suddenly jump on her back and begin to peck out pieces of subcutaneous fat from her. Sometimes the kea does not immediately succeed in clinging to the sheep's skin: the victim, resisting, tries to throw off the bloodthirsty bird.
It rarely happens when a sheep is nevertheless freed from the scourge of kea, most often, animals attacked by a bird die from their wounds, and become food for the rest of the parrots from the flock. Few individuals can kill sheep. Only one or two old birds in the flock attack animals, the rest only use their prey.
Often, upon finding a fallen sheep, shepherds attribute its death to a bird. Because of this, kea parrots were exterminated for a long time. In fact, kea hunts sheep very rarely, and the death of sheep from the attack of predatory parrots has a very insignificant percentage.
Earlier, before the arrival of Europeans, mammals in New Zealand, except for one species of rats and one species of bats, did not exist. This means that the taste of mammalian meat was not known until that time. But due to the lack of other food (worms and insects), parrots began to hunt sheep. Using their powerful claws and beak, originally intended only for climbing tree bark, these birds began to tear apart the wounds of animals. This phenomenon is called preadaptation, when the inherent adaptations perform new functions.
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Often, upon finding a fallen sheep, shepherds attribute its death to a bird. Because of this, kea parrots were exterminated for a long time. In fact, kea hunts sheep very rarely, and the death of sheep from the attack of predatory parrots has a very insignificant percentage. In 1986, people were persuaded to stop killing these birds, and the endangered kea are now under protection.
There are known cases of “attacks” by kea on people's cars, the reason for which, again, is the desire to find something edible in the car. In addition, parrots may be interested in the contents of the backpacks of tourists traveling in the habitats of these birds. Despite this, kea parrots still attract people who love to watch birds play, tumbling in the snow or wallowing in freshly thawed puddles.
Another exceptional feature of these birds is that kea are the only parrots that live and breed at an altitude of 1500 m above sea level.
There is a joke among zoologists that this parrot chose its own name. In fact, he himself out loud and clearly pronounces it - hoarse "keee-aa, keee-aa, keee-aa." It is great for recognition purposes and saves bird watchers from painfully inventing a new name for the bird. True, the bird has not yet learned to pronounce its scientific name, Nestor notabilis, but, probably, it is a matter of time.
Kea is widely regarded as the most intelligent bird in the world. However, kea is not only intelligent. He is incredibly charismatic, curious, brave, ruthless and reckless. And this is one of the few large birds in New Zealand that hasn't forgotten how to fly.
If you want to see kea, go to a crowded place. They are commonly seen in ski resorts, alpine picnic areas and car parks, partly because they find an easy source of simple food there, and partly because this is where they can be mischievous.
Open windows, boot lids and backpacks are an endless source of pleasure for them. They carry away any inadvertently discarded garments or jewelry and hide them in crevices of the rocks, where they are sorted by size so carefully that it is difficult to believe that they do not suffer from an obsessive passion for disorder.
You will not be able to take a kea on a plane as carry-on baggage, because its beak may be considered a dangerous weapon. It looks like a cross between a pair of pliers, a screwdriver and a can opener, it's incredibly powerful and the kea handles it perfectly. Kea also has claws similar to a beak.
So it may not come as a surprise that kea become superb car thieves. Naturally, they do not steal the cars themselves, but only because they cannot reach the pedals. Instead, they steal parts of cars: they have a particularly strong experience in removing rubber wipers and door locks. They do this with such skill and regularity that it's hard not to imagine how they hoard parts somewhere high in the mountains, and then assemble their hybrid cars from them. A few tires and a side mirror - and it's done …
They can open any container. A popular pastime among people living in the wildest parts of New Zealand, where there is almost nothing to do, is the invention of the container that the kea cannot open. It goes without saying that no one has succeeded in this yet, so it is clear: this is an occupation that will provide people with intense work for many years to come.
Another favorite place for mischievous kea is resort houses. They look out for unwary skiers who leave doors or windows open, then dive in and rip all mats, mattresses, and pillows to shreds. They themselves also enjoy skiing, using the chalet's steep roofs as a ski slope.
In one such ski chalet, the kea team left a sentry at the main entrance. Every time someone was about to leave, the sentry gave a signal to others, and the birds began to throw snow from the roof above the door. As a result, the skier found himself covered with snow from head to toe, and all the kea rolled and cackled.
“We went to look at the kea in the parking lot in front of the entrance to the 1.3 km Homer Tunnel. As soon as we stopped, several surprisingly large birds surrounded our car, just like those beggars who obsessively offer to wash the windshield, as soon as you stop at a traffic light.
Much like the adrenaline hunters in neighboring Queenston, the kea in the parking lot did not stop. Peering and shoving, dodging and diving, they acted like mad magpies pumped up with steroids. One kea even swooped down twice on the windshield of a neighboring car.
They were magnificent birds, mostly brown-green, with bright flashes of red, yellow and orange feathers. They conquered at first sight.
After watching the birds for a while, we were amazed at the fact that only a couple of them were really misbehaving. They bullied, while others looked at them from a safe distance and incited them to outrage.
One of the hooligans stole the passenger's baseball cap of a bright red Vauxhall Astra, and while the rightful owner of the cap, his wife and daughter chased him across the parking lot, the rest of the kea switched to another object. If they could, crossing their legs, spit through their teeth or whistle carelessly, they would not have done it. They acted as naturally and innocently as if young tomboy had been caught smoking behind a bicycle shed.
The thief, meanwhile, perched on a high rock with a baseball cap in his beak, looking at his pursuers with that disdainful look that seemed to say, "Well, what are you going to do now?""
An excerpt from The Wild and the Rare: Last Chance to See Them. Stephen Fry and Mark Carvardine (2009)
By the way, kea is the only species of parrots living high in the mountains. For reproduction, they prefer a height of 1.5 thousand meters above sea level. They inhabit beech forests, forest valleys and alpine meadows, not forgetting to visit human housing, especially annoying tourists in hotels, campgrounds and ski lodges.
But feeding kea in national parks is strictly prohibited. And not because they are on a special diet, simply, having got used to getting food from the hands of tourists, they consider it their property and can easily attack a gaping eater who dares to eat a sandwich in their presence. In the wild, they feed on plants, insects and flower nectar. In times of famine, they can eat fallen sheep and even attack the living.
Today kea is a favorite attraction of tourists who forgive them even torn tents and bitten car tires. Like naughty children, parrots bathe in everyone's attention, inventing new tricks for the amusement of the public.