Keas nest on the ground in naturally formed cavities, usually within upland beech and lowland podocarp forest. Breeding occurs in most years, but only about half of all adult females breed in any given year. Breeding occurs as early as July through until January. The female cares for the eggs and nestlings in the cavity, whilst the male forages for the whole family. A kea nest takes four months to raise from a clutch of eggs to free-flying fledglings. Kea are long lived and slowly reproducing, making their populations particularly sensitive to changes in adult survival rates, and also to changes in reproductive and juvenile survival rates.
- predation risks to females and chicks
- risks to foraging male
- nest monitoring research
- nest protection projects