A new walk-through Kea aviary is complete at Orana Wildlife Park and tomorrow some of the residents move in!

Tomorrow, Orana Wildlife Park's elderly Kea, Silver (20) and Kikimo (24), will move home from their 30 year old aviary (64 square metres) into a newly completed 352 square metre home. The birds will be given the chance to adapt to their new setting before the aviary is opened to the public later this year.

This exciting 'walk-through' exhibit was built by the Park's Development team. The aviary has been five years in the planning and took one year to construct. It will provide the Kea with a healthier home and enable visitors to have close encounters with the 'Clown of the Mountains.'

Head Keeper of Native Fauna, Tara Atkinson, says she cannot wait to see the birds fly in the aviary: "This new habitat will be mind blowing for the Kea. They are such intelligent birds and will love having the space to fly and interact with each other. The habitat will add a great deal of stimulation for the birds owing to the space and enrichment items in the aviary."

The exhibit is 20 metres long x 17.6 metres wide and reaches 6.8 metres at the peak. The habitat is designed to be a regenerating Beech forest and contains fallen trees, roosting posts, a water pool, a mountain hut iron roof and numerous other features for the birds. The exhibit will be easier for keepers to operate than the current facilities owing to the large space, a hospital and service area plus a removable door to add new items to the exhibit. Visitors will walk-through the exhibit and exit through a musterer's hut, which is the main interpretation area.

"We are moving Silver and Kikimo into the aviary first to give them time to settle in before adding four, more boisterous Kea. We will then give all of the animals some time to adjust to the environment before opening it for visitors" adds Tara.

"The aims of the habitat are to demonstrate the intelligence and uniqueness of Kea, whilst highlighting the fact that they are endangered. We want visitors to appreciate the beauty of these special parrots and also provide them with ideas of how they can help conserve these magnificent mountain larrikins" concludes Tara.

Kea are only found in New Zealand's Southern Alps. They are classified as a 'Nationally Endangered' species but their wild population is unknown - estimates range from 1,000 to possibly 15,000 birds. One of the main ways local people can assist in Kea conservation is by not feeding the birds and ensuring their equipment is secure when entering Kea territory.

We gratefully acknowledge the estate of Jessie Winchester as well as the Un Cadeau Charitable Trust for providing the funds that enabled this exciting exhibit to be developed.