Kea are large parrots that live in the South Island
high country, sometimes venturing down to valley floors.
Their call is a ringing ‘keee-aa’. Playful and
inquisitive, they can be destructive around ski fields
and campsites, vandalising or stealing unattended items.
In the past kea gained an undeserved reputation as sheep
killers and many were shot. Since 1986 they have been
fully protected by law.
From: Te Ara, Encyclopedia of New Zealand