Research - Kea Conservation Trust

Kea Survey App

Community Engagement, Education and Advocacy, Research

16 Apr 2025

The Kea Survey App is part of a long-term citizen science initiative designed to monitor the health of New Zealand’s kea population. Developed in collaboration with...

Kea Field Ranger Training Programme

Research

06 Sep 2021

Funded by the Withiel Charitable Trust A large proportion of our work is field-based, in the harsh South Island landscape which kea call home. To be...

Perth Catchment (ZIP research site) - kea monitoring

Research

24 Dec 2019

In early 2018, Zero Invasive Predators (ZIP) attached transmitters to 31 kea in the Perth Valley. This was part of a study looking at kea mortality...

Ultimate Hikes Kea Initiative - investigating the health and status of kea on the Milford Track, Routeburn Track and Milford Road.

Research

24 Dec 2019

Ultimate Hikes (UH) has been identifying and removing lead from huts on the Milford and Routeburn Tracks since 2018 to minimise the impact of lead on...

NZFOA - Banding of Kea in Plantation Forestry Estate

Research

13 Sep 2019

Funded by NZFOA ($8,800) While kea are known to live and breed throughout South Island Conservation Estates (National Parks etc), little is known about kea in...

Murchison Mountains kea monitoring

Research

03 Jan 2019

Funded by the Nelson Family (in loving memory of Mike and Jean Nelson), Nga Whenua Rahui, Wellington Zoo Conservation Fund, Denver Zoo, Association of Zoos and...

Community driven kea monitoring in the Stuart Mtns - Fiordland Wapiti Foundation Blocks

Research

04 Apr 2018

Funded by Paradise Valley Springs, Clever Kiwis, Denver Zoo, "Name a Kea" donors and Nga Whenua Rahui This multi-year project is building on the Community –...

Fiordland Kea Sightings Project

Research

16 Dec 2016

Supported by the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation (FWF) and Paradise Valley Springs. The Fiordland Wapiti Foundation (FWF) is supporting kea conservation by encouraging their members, to return...

Mt Aspiring population and nest monitoring

Research

06 Oct 2016

Funded by Auckland Zoo Conservation Fund. Equipment funded by Craig Butcher. Supported by DOC Wanaka. This project aims to develop a community kea catch trip, survey and...

Trialling of a surface bird repellent to deter kea from interacting with human objects

Research

16 Jan 2014

Funded by Auckland Zoo Conservation Fund Kill traps and some bait delivery systems, used to control mammalian pests, may be directly responsible for keas deaths(through their...

Trialling of a bird repellent to prevent kea strike on sheep

Research

16 Jan 2014

Project Background Conflict between kea and New Zealand high country sheep is an on-going issue which prior to protection being granted to kea in the early...

Predator Control - Rotoiti kea nest protection programme

Research

28 Nov 2013

The Rotoiti/Nelson Lakes Nest Protection project has been running since 2012 and continues today. On this page you will find the following: 2022 - Help us...

Population Surveys

Research

22 Nov 2013

Funded by the NZ Lottery Grants Board and DOC The Kea Conservation Trust has been running kea population surveys each year since 2009. These surveys are...

Nest Monitoring

Research

22 Nov 2013

Funded by Dulux and Wellington Zoo Conservation Fund The Kea Conservation Trust has been monitoring kea nests since 2009. The initial reason for monitoring nests was...