POLYGAMOUS KEAS

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30391, 16 March 1964, Page 17

POLYGAMOUS KEAS

Arthur’s Pass Observations The mating behaviour and nesting habits of keas are described in “Notornis,” by Mr J. R. Jackson, organiser of the Canterbury region of the New Zealand Ornithological Society. Mr Jackson describes 36 kea nests he has watched in the Arthur’s Pass National Park over the last seven years. The nests were at altitudes between 2000 ft and 4000 ft; 32 were in mountain beech forest, one in Westland rainforest, and three in subalpine scrub. “Keas nest on the ground under a boulder, in a crevice, in a hollow log, or under the roots of a tree,” says Mr Jackson. “Crevices by rocky outcrops breaking the forest canopy, and especially crevices in the forest round a slip are used.” The nest is usually used by one hen for life, and often another hen will take over the nest after she had disappeared, Mr Jackson says. A young hen will spend several seasons building, before any eggs are laid. The birds are polygamous, most cocks having several wives; the “boss” kea along three miles of the Bealey valley had seven wives. The cocks feed their wives during nest-building and incubation. After the young are born, the mother feeds them, but gradually the cock takes over this duty and after they are fledged the cock takes over altogether. When the chicks are two or three weeks fledged, the male chicks follow the father to meet his other wives. A wife who has been building will guard the chick and play with him in flight. The cock returns to feed the chicks. Of the nests observed by Mr Jackson, 20 had eggs or young birds, with a total deducted clutch of 50 eggs. Thirty-eight of the eggs hatched and 32 chicks were fledged. In four nests all the eggs failed to hatch.

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