Kea

Geographic Range Kea are found only in the mountains of South Island, New Zealand. ( • Biogeographic Regions • • • Other Geographic Terms • Habitat Kea live in wooded valleys and southern beech ( Nothofagus) forests that line sub-alpine scrublands at 600 to 2000 m. In summer, kea inhabit high elevation scrub and alpine tundra areas. In autumn, they move to higher elevations to forage for berries. In winter, kea move below the timberline. ( • Habitat Regions • • • Terrestrial Biomes • • • Range elevation 600 to 2000 m 1968.50 to 6561.68 ft Physical Description Kea are crow-sized parrots, about 48 cm long as adults. They have brownish-green heads and underparts with blackish edges. Their bodies have dull bronze-green plumage. The outer webs of their primaries are dull blue, and the underwing coverts are orange red with yellow barring and notching that extends to the undersides of the flight feathers. The lower back is dull red in color, reaching to the uppertail coverts. The upper surface of the tail is bronze-green, and the under surface of the tail is dull yellow. Kea have decurved upper bills (culmens). Females have shorter, less curved culmens and weigh about 20 percent less than males. Juvenile kea have yellowish crowns and ceres. ( • Other Physical Features • • homoiothermic • • Sexual Dimorphism • male larger • Average mass 922 g 32.49 oz • Average length 48 cm 18.90 in Reproduction Kea have a polygynous mating system. Males fight for dominance, and the hierarchy is s...

2022-23 Scholarships, Awards, Contests & Grants There are many benefits of being a KEA member, including eligibility for scholarships, awards, contests, and grants sponsored by KEA, NEA, and their partners. If you are a KEA member, some opportunities are also available for your family. Read on to see how KEA can help you grow in your profession and support you in your classroom or work site. The scholarships, awards, contests, and grants listed below are open and are accepting applications. Both members and non-members may participate in the following: KEA Smith-Wilson Award for Civil and Human Rights in Education: Established by the KEA Commission on Human Relations at the request of the KEA Delegate Assembly, the Lucy Harth Smith-Atwood S. Wilson Award for Civil and Human Rights in Education was presented for the first time in 1974, and has been continuously awarded every year since then. The award is named for Mrs. Lucy Harth Smith (1888-1955), principal of Lexington’s Booker T. Washington Elementary School for 20 years, and Atwood S. Wilson (1895-1967), principal of Louisville’s Central High School for 29 years. Learn more about Ms. Smith, Mr. Wilson, and the history of the award here. Selected each year by the KEA Diversity Committee, the award recognizes the work of Kentucky individuals or organizations that support and contribute to progress in racial and social justice. Nominees do not have to be members of KEA, but must be persons or organizations that currently d...

All holidays on Kea (Tzia) should start at Ioulis. Your first impression on arriving at the port, Korissia, is that Kea shares the barren landscape of other Cyclades islands but Ioulis (8km inland) is unlike any other main town (or Hora, as the main settlement of Greek islands is often called) of Greece’s most celebrated island chain. Its houses are colourful and often have ceramic tiles, while the paved alleyways give it a village feel. Grab yourself an ice cream and explore as many as you can. Look out for the neoclassical old school building and town hall (built in 1902) and the small archaeological museum. And don’t miss Kea’s famous stone lion, smiling enigmatically at visitors since around 600 BC. The beauty of prehistoric Karthea is that you can only reach it by foot or boat, meaning that it’s an archaeological site whose atmosphere is even more impressive than its long history. It was inhabited for 1,400 years (abandoned in the 6th century AD) and was one of four ancient cities on Kea. There are numerous well-marked hiking trails on the island, but our favourite is from Ioulis (in the centre) via Mesaria, Profitis Ilias, Astra, Ellinika, Agios Simeon and finally to Karthea on the south coast. It’s a demanding 12.5km hiking but wonderfully rewarding and is best done with a guide (who can arrange return transport), like Kea Terra Active. Alternatively, there’s a 35-45min downward trail (longer on the way back) from the Havouna or Stavroudaki village to Karthea, where...

The kea’s species name, Nestor, is from Greek mythology. Nestor was said to be a wise old counselor to the Greeks at Troy. Notabilis (latin), means, ‘that worthy of note’. Maori gave the name kea, describing the sound of its call (‘kee-aa!’). Kea were considered guardians of the mountains for the Waitaha Maori during their search for Pounamu (greenstone). A flock of kea is known either as a ‘circus of kea’ or a ‘curiousity of kea’! ‘Kea’ is both singular and plural. Endangered mountain parrot Kea are the only mountain parrot species in the world and now number fewer than 5,000 individuals in the wild (Anderson, 1986). Numbers of Kea were substantially reduced with the introduction of a government bounty in the late 1870′s which resulted in a conservative estimate of over 150,000 birds being culled as late as the 1970’s (Temple, 1978). Kea are now listed as Nationally Endangered (Robertson et al, 2012) and vulnerable, population trend decreasing by the IUCN Red List (Birdlife International, 2013). Colour: Both male and female kea have predominately olive green feathers edged with black, with blue primaries allowing for camouflage in the wild. Viewed from beneath, however, the underwings of the keas are a striking orange-red with black and yellow striped primary feathers. Rare sitings of yellow or white kea have also been recorded. Leucism (a lack of melanin pigment) is inherited Size: Kea are the largest flighted terrestrial bird in New Zealand. Males are up to 20% larger t...

Welcome to the Cyclades The island of Kea (aka Tzia) is a famous and charming Cycladic island with age-old traditions and interesting history. Its landscape will catch your attention with its green fields, high hills, vineyards, olive groves, ravines, coves and secluded beaches. Visit the largest oak forest in the Cyclades and keep an eye out for the rich bird fauna. Explore its numerous caves (Trypospilies Cave at Kalamos, Agios Timotheos Cave, and Agios Panteleimonas Cave) and the mining area at Orkou. Follow the 81 km paths and discover four ancient city-states of the island (Ioulida - Karthaia - Korissia - Poieessa). Kea is a famous sailing destination mainly due to its proximity to Attica. Its waters are great for divers as a large number of shipwrecks reside on the sea bottom. It’s only a 1-hour trip from Lavrio port, Attica. Touring the Island Chora (aka Ioulida) Chora, located in the centre of the island, is built on the grounds of the ancient town Ioulida, capital of Kea from the late Roman to early Byzantine times. It's a charming little town with traditional clay tile-roofed houses, stone-paved streets, little terraces, galleries and a challenging number of stairs. Don’t miss two significant structures built by Ernst Ziller (a famous 19th c. architect), the new Town Hall and the Historic Municipal buildings. Also visit the Archaeological Museum of Kea near Chora's square, which showcases finds from archaeological sites around the island. Follow the delightful al...