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#Endangered parrot lives in mountains to avoid people: study

#Endangered parrot lives in mountains to avoid people: study

Birds of a feather flock together — far away from society.

Researchers have found reason to believe that the kea — a large, endangered parrot species — once lived among humans before moving away from people and into New Zealand’s mountains.

In a study published last month in the journal Molecular Ecology, scientists at New Zealand’s University of Otago determined that the kea may be capable of living amongst people, but prefers alpine habitats so as to “avoid lower-lying anthropogenic landscapes” — so they don’t have to mingle among humans.

“What distinguishes the alpine habitat from the New Zealand lower-lying open habitats? [There] are usually heavily anthropogenic influences, agriculture going on and so on,” associate professor and lead paper author Michael Knapp told The Guardian, noting that researchers only have speculative evidence keas’ habitat preference is reflective of a dislike of mankind. “Physiologically, there is nothing to stop the kea from surviving at lower altitudes. It’s a generalist. It will survive from sea level to alpine.”

Study authors discovered this by comparing their analysis of kea genome DNA and the genome of its sister species, the kākā.

“The researchers found the kea is not an alpine specialist, but rather one that adapted to using such an open habitat because it was least disturbed by human activity,” stated a press release.

A closeup shot of a Nestor Kea, located only on South Island in New Zealand
A closeup shot of a Nestor Kea, located only on South Island in New Zealand.
Alamy Stock Photo

While the correlation between keas and not living among homo sapiens is still unproven, such a finding would align well with the birds’ notorious reputation for running amok around the nation. Headlines about the alpine parrots have included everything from tales of them stealing tourists’ wallets and passports, generally wreaking havoc and, most significantly, periodically killing sheep. This murderous habit so angered the nation’s sheep farmers that, from approximately 1870 to 1970, the New Zealand government had a formal policy of paying a bounty for kea beaks, The Guardian reported. 

Today, there are only roughly 3,000 to 7,000 keas left in existence, according to New Zealand’s Department of Conservation

Researchers are concerned that climate warming will leave keas with few habitat options to continue avoiding humanity.

“If kea use the alpine zone as a retreat from human activity, then what other options do they have if the alpine zone disappears? Will they increase their use of forest habitat, potentially increasing competition with kākā?” asked Knapp in the release.

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