Supporting kea to thrive in the wild is one of the great challenges and privileges of our work.

Since 2018, we’ve been developing an effective approach to protect kea while we eliminate possums, rats and stoats from their habitat.

You can read about this work via the links below.

Papers

Featured
Memory retention of conditioned aversion training in New Zealand's alpine parrot, the kea
Memory retention of conditioned aversion training in New Zealand's alpine parrot, the kea

The Journal of Wildlife Management (2022)

Assessing kea perception of cereal baits using modelling of spectral reflectance
Assessing kea perception of cereal baits using modelling of spectral reflectance

New Zealand Journal of Ecology (2021)

Conditioned aversion in kea to cereal bait: A captive study using anthraquinone
Conditioned aversion in kea to cereal bait: A captive study using anthraquinone

Applied Animal Behaviour Science (2020)

Technical reports

Featured
Technical Report #13: Predator Free South Westland Impact Report
Technical Report #13: Predator Free South Westland Impact Report

Nichols, M., Menzies, A., Arand, J. and Bell, P.- December 2024

Technical Report #12: Assessing the use of the ZIP SafeLock trap in the Perth River valley
Technical Report #12: Assessing the use of the ZIP SafeLock trap in the Perth River valley

Briar Cook - April 2020

Technical Report #10: Visual Discernment by kea of different cereal bait types; using a visual model based on parrots
Technical Report #10: Visual Discernment by kea of different cereal bait types; using a visual model based on parrots

Amy Martin and Maggie Nichols, July 2019

Technical Report #9: Tahr carcasses as an attractant over cereal bait for wild kea
Technical Report #9: Tahr carcasses as an attractant over cereal bait for wild kea

Maggie Nichols and Phil Bell, February 2019

Technical Report #8: Kea repellent for cereal bait - a captive study using anthraquinone
Technical Report #8: Kea repellent for cereal bait - a captive study using anthraquinone

Maggie Nichols and Phil Bell, January 2019

Findings

Updates

Media coverage

Featured
Kea delight locals and visitors alike with coastal antics this summer
Kea delight locals and visitors alike with coastal antics this summer

Stuff

Group celebrates tent shredding from Kea
Group celebrates tent shredding from Kea

RNZ National

Vandalism a good sign in kea project
Vandalism a good sign in kea project

Otago Daily Times

Native bird species 'bounce back' as predators eradicated in Westland
Native bird species 'bounce back' as predators eradicated in Westland

Stuff | Christchurch Press

Perth Valley experiment a 'kea saver'
Perth Valley experiment a 'kea saver'

OSPRI

How do kea see 1080 bait?
How do kea see 1080 bait?

The University of Auckland

Can NZ's curious kea be trained to avoid 1080?
Can NZ's curious kea be trained to avoid 1080?

New Zealand Herald

Feeding kea tahr may prevent 1080 deaths
Feeding kea tahr may prevent 1080 deaths

Wilderness Magazine