BirdsAroundWorld.comKea
Nestor notabilis
The Kea (Nestor notabilis) is a bird found in New Zealand. Mountain forests and snowy slopes on New Zealand’s South Island. It eats leaves and other plant parts, fruit and dead animals (carrion). The IUCN Red List lists it as Endangered.
See the Kea on the 3D globe →| Scientific name | Nestor notabilis |
|---|---|
| Region | Australia & Oceania |
| Found in | New Zealand |
🏡 Where the Kea lives
Mountain forests and snowy slopes on New Zealand’s South Island.
🍽️ What it eats
- 🌿 Leaves & plants60%
- 🍎 Fruit30%
- 🦴 Leftovers (carrion)10%
A rough guide to its diet over a year. Source: EltonTraits (Wilman et al. 2014).
Conservation status
Hear the Kea
Recorded by Meena Haribal (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0), xeno-canto XC961343. Trimmed to a few seconds.
Questions about the Kea
Where does the Kea live?
The Kea lives in New Zealand. Mountain forests and snowy slopes on New Zealand’s South Island.
What does the Kea eat?
leaves and other plant parts (about 60%), fruit (about 30%), dead animals (carrion) (about 10%). These are rough shares of its diet over a year, from the EltonTraits database.
Is the Kea endangered?
Very few are left in the wild. Its IUCN Red List category is Endangered.
More birds from Australia & Oceania
Sources: IUCN Red List (via Wikidata), EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014), GBIF sightings for countries, Wikipedia. Last updated 2026-10-19.