Parrots in the Wild Juvenile Kea Nestor notablilis
by KIRSTY SWINNER TON My friend and I wer e walking a track thr ough the Kepler mountains in South Island, New Zealand while on holiday in 1998. On our second day, as we were r esting at a shelter in the snowcovered mountains, a pair of Keas with their two youngsters appear ed wher e I took this photograph. In captivity, Keas have a reputation for being mischievous and these wild birds were no dif ferent, attempting to tear apar t our r ucksacks looking for something to scavenge or play with. For thir ty minutes the family followed us down the ridge, weaving back and for th and flashing the brilliant red feathers under their wings. As we dropped into the valley, they disappear ed leaving me with a per fect holiday memory.
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