It mostly inhabits high-altitude forest and alpine basins, although birds will often frequent and nest in coastal lowland flats. Its foraging habitat includes all types of native forest, sub-alpine scrub, tussock and herb-field. It mostly feeds on berries and shoots, although many have adapted to feeding at refuse dumps and ski-fields. It nests in holes, under logs or in rocky crevasses, mainly within forest. It usually incubates up to four eggs. Males feed the females during incubation and after hatching. Birds breed after three or more years. The oldest recorded wild bird was at least 22 years of age (T. Orr-Walker in litt. 2016).

Nestor notabilis occurs on South Island, New Zealand. The population is sparsely distributed across a range of approximately 3.5 million hectares from Kahurangi to Fiordland, and including the Kaikoura Ranges. The population is a fraction of what it once was, largely due to persecution between the late 1860s and early 1970s, although pockets of high population densities persist in some areas, such as around Arthur’s Pass and South Westland (Orr-Walker et al. 2015). The current population has been estimated to number 6,000 individuals (Kemp 2013) and continues to decline rapidly.

Conservation Actions Underway
CITES Appendix II. The species has been fully protected by national law since 1986 (Orr-Walker et al. 2015). Research is being conducted on its ecology and population dynamics. Advocacy is aimed at informing alpine users of ways to minimise adverse impacts and to change the negative image of the species often held by high-country farmers and ski-field operators (A. Grant in litt. 1999). The Kea Conservation Trust operates a conflict resolution programme (Orr-Walker in litt. 2016). Predator control has been carried out and there are plans for it to continue as part of New Zealand’s “Battle for our Birds” (Department of Conservation 2016). Efforts to use a bird repellent to deter kea from 1080 toxin have not so far proved effective (van Klink and Crowell 2015). A project to involve communities in kea conservation is underway (Orr-Walker in litt. 2016).

Conservation Actions Proposed
Census the population at frequent intervals. Research population dynamics and genetics (Orr-Walker et al. 2015). Continue advocacy campaigns. Continue to control introduced mammals. Identify sources of lead posing a risk to kea, then either remove, replace with lead free alternatives or cover to prevent kea access (Orr-Walker 2013a). Ensure that kea are excluded from predator-control toxins and devices, and limit the use of risky devices (Orr-Walker 2013b). Investigate the feasibility of a captive or island insurance population (Orr-Walker et al. 2015).