Kea, Bird of Paradox: The Evolution and Behavior of a New Zealand Parrot

By Judy Diamond and Alan B. Bond

The kea, a crow-sized parrot that lives in the rugged mountains of New Zealand, is considered by some a playful comic and by others a vicious killer. Its true character is a mystery that biologists have debated for more than a century. Judy Diamond and Alan Bond have written a comprehensive account of the kea's contradictory nature, and their conclusions cast new light on the origins of behavioral flexibility and the problem of species survival in human environments everywhere.

New Zealand's geological remoteness has made the country home to a bizarre assemblage of plants and animals that are wholly unlike anything found elsewhere. Keas are native only to the South Island, breeding high in the rigorous, unforgiving environment of the Southern Alps. Bold, curious, and ingeniously destructive, keas have a complex social system that includes extensive play behavior. Like coyotes, crows, and humans, keas are "open-program" animals with an unusual ability to learn and to create new solutions to whatever problems they encounter.

Diamond and Bond present the kea's story from historical and contemporary perspectives and include observations from their years of field work. A comparison of the kea's behavior and ecology with that of its closest relative, the kaka of New Zealand's lowland rain forests, yields insights into the origins of the kea's extraordinary adaptability. The authors conclude that the kea's high level of sociality is a key factor in the flexible lifestyle that probably evolved in response to the alpine habitat's unreliable food resources and has allowed the bird to survive the extermination of much of its original ecosystem. But adaptability has its limits, as the authors make clear when describing present-day interactions between keas and humans and the attempts to achieve a peaceful coexistence.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0520213394
• ISBN13: 9780520213395
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Length: 244 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.8" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

A noble bird

I loved this book. The Kea is a fascinating animal and the book gives you insight into not only its entertaining behavior, but also it's origin. Geology, geography, and biology all play a role. Books about nature topics are often dry, but the detail is necessary and frankly rewarding. People should learn about the environment by delving into it, getting a view of cause-and-effect, just like with politics and the economy. As the human species is facing serious problems, issues of nature and the environment will become as newsworthy as anything else. This book gets you in the proper mindset.

A great book about a fascinating parrot.

A fascinating book about a fascinating parrot. New Zealand's kea is a highly social parrot that survives through its ability to learn instead of relying on instinct. It is the world's only alpine parrot and the only parrot that preys on sheep. Based on extensive field study, this book offers an indepth look at kea society and evolution. Although it is written by scientists, it is both easy and entertaining to read. It should appeal to parrot lovers, ornithologists, and anyone interested in island evolution and ecosystems in general.