Somewhere in these mountains, a kea is currently taking something apart that isn't theirs.

Somewhere in the mountains ringing Lake Wānaka, there's a very good chance a kea is currently taking something apart that doesn't belong to it. They're the only parrot species on Earth adapted to alpine life, and they've built an entire reputation around being smarter, cheekier, and more destructive than that fact alone would suggest.

The only parrot species on Earth adapted to alpine life.

A Parrot Built for Snow

Most parrots are tropical birds. Kea are the exception — olive-green, roughly the size of a large hawk, and entirely at home in the high, cold country of the Southern Alps, including the ranges around Mount Aspiring National Park. Under each wing is a flash of brilliant orange-red that only shows in flight, a striking contrast to the otherwise unassuming green plumage they wear at rest.

Suspiciously Intelligent

Kea are widely considered among the most intelligent birds in the world, capable of problem-solving that would embarrass some mammals. That intelligence has a mischievous side: kea are notorious for stripping rubber seals off parked cars, working out latches on packs and chilly bins, and generally treating any unattended human belongings as a puzzle to be solved. It's genuinely entertaining to watch, right up until it's your gear.

Endangered, and Easy to Underestimate

Despite the reputation for boldness, kea are a threatened species — vulnerable to introduced predators, lead poisoning from old building materials, and simple bad luck around humans who don't realise how endangered they actually are. Their total population is thought to number only in the low thousands, spread thinly across South Island high country.

A Reason to Look Up

If you're out in the high country around Wānaka and Mount Aspiring, a kea sighting is one of the better wildlife moments available — a genuinely wild, genuinely rare bird, doing something clever or destructive right in front of you, completely unbothered by the fact that you're watching. Keep an eye on your gear all the same.

You won't spot one from the boat, but the mountains they call home are exactly what you'll be looking at on a lake tour.