Add Animal
    Mammals
    Mammals Birds Amphibians Reptiles Animals Ray-finned fishes Myxini – Hagfishes Petromyz' – Lampreys Sharks & rays Holocep' – Chimaeras Dipneusti – Lungfish Coelac' – Coelacanths Insecta – Insects / bugs Gastropoda – Snails & slugs Cephalopoda – Squids & octopuses Arachnida – Spiders, scorpions & allies Malacostraca – Malacostracans Diplopoda – Millipedes Bivalvia – Marine molluscs Chilopoda – Centipedes Pycnogonida – Sea spiders Merostomata – Horseshoe crabs More Classes
    Filters

    Regions

    See AllSelect

    Habitat

    See AllSelect

    Nestor

    Kea and kaka are large parrots with dull plumage, unlike other brightly colored parrots

    Habitat destruction, among other human interventions, poses a significant threat to species in this genus. Two species in this genus are already extinct, and the remaining three are endangered. The large birds might not be as pretty as their relatives, but they have some unique characteristics.

    The kea and kaka have beautiful olive-green and brownish plumage with some yellow, orange, white and red specks. The tip of their tongue has a hair-like fringe that resembles the lorikeet’s tongue. These aggressive birds would fight a cat over a carcass if hungry. You’ll be surprised to see their intelligence as they figure out how to open the lid of a container filled with treats. Their intelligence might be a survival instinct that has evolved.