Rare Kea as a pet???

[Wings]

Oh.My.God. I was reading up on keas, the most intelligent known parrot. (look it up) it is a semi-carnivorous alpine parrots of new zealand, and i found they aren't completely unknown in aviculture. Also, they are proven to be excellent breeders. Keas might soon become available in the pet trade more widely. I have one friend who has cared for one and she says that they are very curious, inquisitive birds who just want to know what you are doing. If i can find a kea i will definitely tell you guys. Who knows i have two huge unoccupied bird cages. Lets put them to good use I will keep you guys updated on the captive status of the kea. Do any of you know of any kept as pets, what cost do you think they would be? knowing they are prolific breeders. clutch size 3 to 4 eggs; incubation 29 days; fledging period about 10 weeks

 

[Kalidasa]

The only thing I've heard about them, time and time again, is that they're one of the most destructive hyper parrots on the planet. Also there's a good possibility it could harm or kill your budgie.

 

[Wings]

Wow, kalidasa, i was kidding about getting one. I couldn't properly house such an active parrot with that much intelligence.

 

[MonicaMc]

I think there's a video on youtube of a kea dismantling it's cage... which is, btw, an aviary!


I would dread owning a parrot that could outsmart me daily! That said, when you see them up close, they are very gorgeous and unique birds!

 

[BACON]

Yeah there's a guy in the uk that breeds them... I'd love to own a pair, just because how amazing they are. Their aviary would have to be something special!!!

 

[Betrisher]

Check out the kaka and kakapo as well. They're also beautiful and unique-looking birds!

 

[BACON]

Can you actually buy kaka's... They sure are stunning birds. Bearing in mind I'm from the uk!!?

 

[Betrisher]

I doubt it. All the New Zealand Nestor parrots are rare and being carefully bred to try and save the genus. While captive breeding has a place, it's hard to justify taking them from their native islands where they were evolved to prosper. Beautiful birds though, eh?

 

[Wings]

gorgeous birds

 

[Wings]

They sell in the uk for £3000, i'm not sure if this is legit, but if you are interested, contact the breeder and ask him how he keeps them without feeding them cars I'm NOT advertising this breeder, just curious as to how he keeps his keas

Keas | Keas for sale

 

[Klaery]

Here is one of my pics

They are really not a species that I think should be kept by people looking for a "pet". Sure your very special and dedicated keeper with time, money and experience may be able to cope but most won't. I would much rather see kea in the wild (where they are endangered) then filling someones pockets or being someones pet.


P.s. That breeder doesn't even know that the plural of Kea is Kea, not Keas. Not a great start haha.

 

[Wings]

Good point, however MANY parrots are endangered and captivity is saving them from extinction! If the Spix's macaw wasn't sold as a pet, it would be extinct now. I do not see them as a suitable pet parrot though.

 

[Klaery]

Good point, however MANY parrots are endangered and captivity is saving them from extinction! If the Spix's macaw wasn't sold as a pet, it would be extinct now. I do not see them as a suitable pet parrot though.

haha I agree definitely not suitable as a household pet

Captive breeding is generally a last resort as you quickly introduce a bunch of problems when you try to rely on a captive population (though yes you are correct, sometimes it is necessary). The captive spix population is mainly from 7 wild caught founder birds as far as I am aware, not pet birds. Aside from that it was trapping for captivity and habitat destruction that created the problem in the first place.

 

[Wings]

very true...wow parrot conservation is so contradictional...

 

[U2gal]

Good point, however MANY parrots are endangered and captivity is saving them from extinction! If the Spix's macaw wasn't sold as a pet, it would be extinct now. I do not see them as a suitable pet parrot though.

The Spix isn't being sold as a pet.

And selling as pets doesn't save the wild species.

Only a few breeders in the USofA breed for sole purpose of conservation. Most breeders are in it for profit and very few really care about raising their babies correct or taking care or the parental birds correctly.

 

[Betrisher]

Any breeding programme that's fair dinkum (Australian for 'reputable' or 'geniune') ensures the birds never become tame. The whole point is that they remain wild with a view to returning to their native habitat (where they belong).

I was lucky enough to be on Lord Howe Island in 1977 when the Woodhen population was down to only nine birds. I saw five of them on the top of Mount Lidgbird. (!!! Was spectacular!!!) Thanks to an excellent semi-captive breeding programme combined with a concerted effort at getting rid of introduced predators (notably ship rats and pigs), there are now plenty of Lord Howe Island Woodhens with a bright future.

In my local area, we have a wetland programme of similar semi-captive breeding of the endangered Freckled Duck. The birds are kept in the confines of a nature reserve to breed, but the offspring are kept wild so the parents teach them to forage and hide from predators. The ultimate aim is to release healthy, suitably cautious birds back into the wild (where they belong).

I think it's healthy to bear in mind that many parrots wouldn't *be* endangered if it weren't for the pet trade. Since Australia is a popular source of desirable parrots, we have an ongoing black market in bird smuggling. The way they get the birds out of the country is incredibly inhumane with a 'death factor' built in to the overall calculated profit. That means, they know a percentage of the birds will die, but that's OK. They'll still make $$$$$ out of the transaction. Same with reptiles. This is why it's getting harder and harder to import/export native animals to/from anywhere. Thankfully, governments are tightening up on the trade so that only aviary bred birds are available for sale.

I reckon it'd be easy as pie to snare a few native parrots for my own enjoyment, but what's preferable: watching a trained bird do stuff on command or watching a wild flock wheeling in the sky and bellowing to its mates for the pure joy of living?

(NB. I'm not saying there's no place for companion fids - just that the wild ones are better off left where they are).

 

[kq_fan]

That would be amazing to have a kea but it would tear down my house and eat my pets (even the dogs!) and they would get so board at my house. Even at zoos they get board! But I LOVE the sweet beauties!

 

[U2gal]

Whats also sadsad is, and no offense to any Australian, but when Australia catches a smuggler they euthanise the birds on the spot. Even if they're Australian birds, or very rare species and endangered species.

Incredibly sad.

 

[Abigal7]

That would be amazing to have a kea but it would tear down my house and eat my pets (even the dogs!) and they would get so board at my house. Even at zoos they get board! But I LOVE the sweet beauties!

That is what I was thinking! Seeing what they can do to sheep I have no doubt a dog or a cat would be viewed as dinner! I suppose ferrets may beat this bird to the idea of having meat for dinner. I do not see these birds as pet material. I support conservation efforts to save the rainforest and endangered parrots. I know a lot of macaw species, sun conures, and African Greys (for example) are endangered in the wild. Some of these birds are already pets. I do hope a barrier does get broken. Sometimes it is easier for a person to care about things they know get to know personally. I hope I would be a good representative to people that these birds are smart creatures whose wild counterparts deserve a place in the wild.

 

[crimson]

Oh.My.God. I was reading up on keas, the most intelligent known parrot. (look it up) it is a semi-carnivorous alpine parrots of new zealand, and i found they aren't completely unknown in aviculture. Also, they are proven to be excellent breeders. Keas might soon become available in the pet trade more widely. I have one friend who has cared for one and she says that they are very curious, inquisitive birds who just want to know what you are doing. If i can find a kea i will definitely tell you guys. Who knows i have two huge unoccupied bird cages. Lets put them to good use I will keep you guys updated on the captive status of the kea. Do any of you know of any kept as pets, what cost do you think they would be? knowing they are prolific breeders. clutch size 3 to 4 eggs; incubation 29 days; fledging period about 10 weeks

when you go to this extent of explaining about your two huge unoccupied bird cages, and putting them to good use, your inference was you would wanted one