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