Count of kea as fears grow over health

Fears for the health of the kea population in New Zealand have prompted conservationists to carry out a count of the birds this winter.

The Kea Conservation Trust plan to a carry out a survey of the playful alpine parrot in July to get an idea of its numbers.

Chairwoman of the trust Tamsin Orr-Walker said lead used in buildings, habitat pressures, the use of the pesticide 1080 and competition from introduced predators could all have an affect on population.

"They are nationally endangered but not all birds get a priority status and there's no management for kea," she said.

Orr-Walker said there were an estimated 1000 to 5000 birds living in the wild based on a survey 30 years ago.

"If we are down to 1000 to 5000 we could have really serious problems because you have got huge pressures on the birds. Potentially they could be in a really bad way," she said.

The trust is looking for volunteers to do counts in the Southern Alps this winter.

Department of Conservation (DOC) biodiversity programme manager for the Waimakariri Area, Mike Ambrose, said the count would be useful.

"Like a lot of native species there's a lot which is unknown about them," he said. "They are quite possibly in decline but not in a bad enough way that they have priority placed on them like other birds do."

- © Fairfax NZ News