The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-11-08
The Sheep-KiIIing Kea.
BY GEORGE r. MARINER, FIRMS,
assistant Biology, Canterbury College, Zealand

lizard-like animal, called by the Ma
oris the tuatara, the avifauna claims
them all. The extinct moa, that giant
OF the bird world, is the only bird
known that has not even a vestge OF
wing; the little kiwi itself is al
most wingless, and it is the only bird
known that has its nostrils opening to
the exterior at the tip of its long
beak; while among the migratory
birds the godwit holds the record for
long sea fights, for it flies from New
Zealand to Siberia and back every
year.
However, OF late years the bird
that has come to the front, owing to
fits strange habits, is the kea. This
mountain parrot (Nestor notabilis) is
somewhat larger than a pigeon, and
its feathers are mostly dark green
edged with black, while under its
wings and on its tail its color is brick
red. It's beak is very strong, and the
upper mandible very much curved
The bird is confined to the South
Island of New Zealand, where It lives
among the peaks OF the Southern
Alps, which often rise from seven to
over twelve thousand feet in height.
However, it does not by any means
always live near the summit OF these
snowclad peaks, but is most common
ly found just about the forest limit.
About thirty-eight years ago, n
number Of sheep were found torn
about in a way that was quite un-
known to the sheep farmers, and SO
very close watch was kept. The
result was that several keas were
seen sitting on some sheep and peck
ing at the wool and at another time
several keas were seen sitting around
q wounded sheep. At once the keas
were condemned without any further
proof, and the slaughter Of these in
teresting birds which was then com
menced continues until this day. This |
was the first and best instance record |
ed OF the keas killing sheep, and |
when tho evidcnce is sifted there is |
no absolute proof at all in the record. |
This supposed change OF an in
sectivorous aad berry eating bird to a |
bird OF prey las heaT the cause OF a |
long controversy between station |
owners and sh e. farmers and the !
scientific men OF the colony, who |
took the part OF the kea.
When the writer took up the ques-
tion in 1905, after reading through |
all the available records, he could |
not find one writer Who saw the bird |
kill a sheep, nor was the name and |
address OF any actual eyewitness |
given. Not only was the fact Of the |
kea's change OF habit OF scientific |
Importance, but the loss Of thousands |
of sheep made it essential that the |
question should be once and for all |
time satisfactorily settled The |
writer then set to work, and collected |
written accounts from men who had !
actually seen the bird killing and |
attacking sheep, and the result OF |
this investigation is published in the |
Transactions of the New Zealand |
Institute, 1906.
Great care was taken to make the |
evidence authentic, and in each case !
the witness had TO send in a written !
statement that he would be willing to |
swear to his evidence before a justice |
Of the peace.
ever seen the kea at work seems to |
be due to the fact that the killing is
mostly done at evening or early !
morning, at places which men seldom |
reach until long after the bird has
finished its deadly work. Among !
my correspondents, over thirty men !
have actually seen the kea killing |
the sheep. These witnesses do not |
consist only OF musterers and shep- !
herds, but in many instances they are |
either managers Of the sheep stations |
or the stations owners themselves. !
Summing up the different accounts, !
which owing to limits of space can |
not be published in nll here, the |
birds mode Of procedure seems as |
follows: They may attack i'm ones |
or twos or in numbers, but usually |
one or two birds do the killing, and |
the others share i'm the spoil. The |
keas always seem to choose the pick |
of the flock The bird settles on the |
ground near its quarry. and after |
hopping around for some time, il !
leaps on its prey, usually on the !
rump. The movement of the sheep !
may cause it to fall Off, but Il per- !
sists until it has firmly perched itself |
on the Sleeps back. Then the kea !
begins its operations by tearing out
the wool with its powerful beak. and
at last gets its beak into the flesh
The sheep, which for some time
has been moving uueasily about.
gives jump as the beak pierces the
flesh, and then begins to run wildly
about in vain efforts to rid itself of
its tormentor When, however, the
sheep finds It cannot dislodge its
enemy, 1t seems TO become terrified
with pain and fright, and rushes
blindly about, usually at high
speed, the kea meanwhile holding on
and balancing itself with out
stretched wings. When the beast
stumbles, the kea rises on it's wings,