Tuesday, Dec 30th, while in Franz Josef we came across several Kea - the world's only mountain parrot. They mainly live in the beech forests and alpine areas of the South Island. They are extremely smart and curious which often leads to problems when they interact with humans. They've been known to dig through backpacks or pry apart rubber parts of cars.
They are quite large and not really afraid of humans. What's really annoying is the tourists that feed them, usually right next to the signs telling you not to. Because people feed them, they become more of a nuisance.
They have huge, powerful beaks and have been known to attack sheep -- at one point they were hunted but now have a protected status.
None of these pictures show it, but they have bright scarlet feathers on the underside of their wings. It's pretty impressive to see when they are flying above you.
They are quite large and not really afraid of humans. What's really annoying is the tourists that feed them, usually right next to the signs telling you not to. Because people feed them, they become more of a nuisance.
They have huge, powerful beaks and have been known to attack sheep -- at one point they were hunted but now have a protected status.
None of these pictures show it, but they have bright scarlet feathers on the underside of their wings. It's pretty impressive to see when they are flying above you. 
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