Kea Conservation: Saving Endangered Mountain Parrots (with Tamsin Orr-Walker)

Written By Callum Armstrong

  • New Zealand's most intelligent native bird is at risk of fading away, despite being highly visible around tourist hotspots.

    Kea, the world's only alpine parrot, captivates hearts and minds with their vibrant personalities and remarkable intelligence comparable to a four-year-old child.

    These charismatic birds skillfully navigate harsh mountain environments, yet face a range of threats pushing their population to dangerously low levels - just a few thousand individuals spread across 3.5 million hectares.

    In this episode of the People Helping Nature Podcast, Tamsin Orr-Walker, co-founder and chair of the Kea Conservation Trust (KCT), explains how these birds were decimated by a century-long bounty that killed 150,000 kea and continue to struggle with introduced predators, lead poisoning, and harmful human interactions.

    "There was a perception that kea were doing well, that they didn't have any problems," explains Tamsin. But evidence gathered over the last few decades proves that this is far from reality.

    KCT's work spans a wide range of activities that include removing toxic lead from old buildings, nest monitoring, research, advocacy, and more.

    Through community partnerships and targeted conservation efforts, Tamsin and her team are working to ensure these remarkable alpine parrots continue to soar throughout the South Island’s mountains for generations to come.

  • Here are some of the key topics we discussed:

    • Fascinating kea facts.

    • The shocking history of humans hunting kea.

    • The devastating impact of stoats and feral cats on kea populations.

    • Why lead poisoning from old buildings is as deadly as predation.

    • KCT’s inspiring efforts to protect kea from the many threats they face.

    • The scientific and conservation importance of having a captive population.

    • The "Keep Kea Wild" pledge that KCT is developing.

    • What not to do when you’re in kea country. 

    • How to report your kea sightings and contribute to their conservation.

    • And much more…

  • Tamsin is co-founder of the Kea Conservation Trust and has been the Chair since its inception. Tamsin manages the Trust’s day to day operations and coordinates KCT’s projects and partnerships. She was appointed a MNZM for services to kea conservation in 2020 and represents the KCT on the Kea Recovery Group.

    🔗Learn more:

  • The People Helping Nature podcast is brought to you by Conservation Amplified, a registered New Zealand charity.

    We are on a mission to help make conservation mainstream by amplifying the awesome stuff people are doing to help nature all around Aotearoa New Zealand.

    Because when people are aware, connected to the ecosystems around them and care enough to take positive action, only then will we see lasting change.

    Listen in and follow us to start or deepen your journey.

Callum Armstrong
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Small but Mighty: Little Penguins and the People Saving them (with NZPI)