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Kea, Bird of Paradox: The Evolution and Behavior of a New Zealand Parrot
The kea, a crow-sized parrot that lives in the rugged mountains of New Zealand, is considered by some a playful comic and by others a vicious killer. Its true character is a mystery that biologists have debated for more than a century. Judy Diamond and Alan Bond have written a comprehensive account of the kea's contradictory nature, and their conclusions cast new light on the origins of behavioral flexibility and the problem of species survival in human environments everywhere.
New Zealand's geological remoteness has made the country home to a bizarre assemblage of plants and animals that are wholly unlike anything found elsewhere. Keas are native only to the South Island, breeding high in the rigorous, unforgiving environment of the Southern Alps. Bold, curious, and ingeniously destructive, keas have a complex social system that includes extensive play behavior. Like coyotes, crows, and humans, keas are "open-program" animals with an unusual ability to learn and to create new solutions to whatever problems they encounter.
Diamond and Bond present the kea's story from historical and contemporary perspectives and include observations from their years of field work. A comparison of the kea's behavior and ecology with that of its closest relative, the kaka of New Zealand's lowland rain forests, yields insights into the origins of the kea's extraordinary adaptability. The authors conclude that the kea's high level of sociality is a key factor in the flexible lifestyle that probably evolved in response to the alpine habitat's unreliable food resources and has allowed the bird to survive the extermination of much of its original ecosystem. But adaptability has its limits, as the authors make clear when describing present-day interactions between keas and humans and the attempts to achieve a peaceful coexistence.
New Zealand's geological remoteness has made the country home to a bizarre assemblage of plants and animals that are wholly unlike anything found elsewhere. Keas are native only to the South Island, breeding high in the rigorous, unforgiving environment of the Southern Alps. Bold, curious, and ingeniously destructive, keas have a complex social system that includes extensive play behavior. Like coyotes, crows, and humans, keas are "open-program" animals with an unusual ability to learn and to create new solutions to whatever problems they encounter.
Diamond and Bond present the kea's story from historical and contemporary perspectives and include observations from their years of field work. A comparison of the kea's behavior and ecology with that of its closest relative, the kaka of New Zealand's lowland rain forests, yields insights into the origins of the kea's extraordinary adaptability. The authors conclude that the kea's high level of sociality is a key factor in the flexible lifestyle that probably evolved in response to the alpine habitat's unreliable food resources and has allowed the bird to survive the extermination of much of its original ecosystem. But adaptability has its limits, as the authors make clear when describing present-day interactions between keas and humans and the attempts to achieve a peaceful coexistence.
244 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 1998
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 9, 2014
Amazing book about my favorite animal on the planet. Entertaining from start to finish. I'm currently re-reading it!
February 11, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this relatively short (150 pages) book on the New Zealand Kea parrot. It has lots of good information about a 4 year behavioral study of Keas at Arthur's Pass in the early 1990's and compares observed behavior to the closely related Kaka parrots. Short topics of Kea evolutionary history, behavior, and conservation are discussed. The writing is good and accessible to a general audience with a nice selections of entertaining drawings and a few black and white pictures. The text includes explanatory notes and an extensive set of appendixes and references in the back for more in depth study. For what this book is and when it was published (1999) the book is great, but I was left wanting more. There has been a lot more research of Keas in the last 20 years and color photographs would greatly enhance a more modern Kea book. Alison Ballance has set a high standard of books on endangered New Zealand parrots with her excellent _Kakapo: Rescued From The Brink Of Extinction_ which is both detailed in content and filled with stunning photos. If you are keen on learning more about Keas, I highly recommend this book, but it will not answer all your questions about this intriguing species.
August 4, 2019
Since I work with keas at the zoo, I was thrilled to find an entire book dedicated to them! It flips between narrative anecdotes (about both the birds and the unique challenges of studying them in the field) and somewhat dry presentations of facts -- both of which I enjoyed thoroughly. The illustrations are wonderful additions. Everything I learn about them makes me fall more in love with these wonderful, intelligent, playful parrots.
July 4, 2022
The book is so very interesting read. And it is probably the only book that has so vivid description of play types among Kea birds. I enjoyed, mesmerized and was wowed when reading this.
April 16, 2017
This is one of my favorite books I've ever read! What a treat. The kea is so mysterious and intriguing, and the authors take us on a compelling, data-rich journey into the life and times of the Kea
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews