As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Monday 7 October 2013

Naughty kea caught, banished from camp

A band of kea have been kicked out of a Christian campground in Kaiteriteri for continuing bad behaviour.

Four kea from a mob of seven were caught with net guns on Thursday and shifted to the Rainbow ski field area in Nelson Lakes.

Last month the Department of Conservation shifted six of the birds causing chaos in the beach settlement to Canaan Downs on Takaka Hill but they returned to their disorderly ways at the Bethany Park camp within days.

Department of Conservation kea expert and Kea Conservation Trust worker Corey Mosen said the birds usually dispersed on their own, but the campground was "too entertaining" to ignore.

He thought their home territory was located in native bush slightly uphill from the motor camp.

"They were just coming into the campground and chewing on anything that got left outside.

"They were upsetting everyone."

Mr Mosen hoped better food sources at Rainbow, and the 150km distance from the camp, might convince them to stay in their new home.

"There's a lot of nice beech forest there that will hopefully keep them occupied."

Each bird was tagged before release, and one male had a transmitter attached so DOC could track him. The kea were not too upset by their capture or removal.

"They're quite chilled out for a bird, they didn't really mind being in a box. When we let them go they just slowly popped out and mucked around for a while before flying away."

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