Six Kea Up Treble Cone You Should Meet
Treble Cone’s base area boasts an elevation of 1260m, making it a frequent haunt for New Zealand’s beloved alpine parrot, the kea! Known for their intelligence, cheekiness, curiosity, and assertiveness, these feathered comedians are a must-see for visitors to the South Island.
Unfortunately, kea are nationally endangered and threatened by animal predators and human activities such as poisoning, deliberate killing, and car accidents. These threats make seeing a kea even more special and treasured. Treble Cone (TC) supports initiatives and organizations like the Kea Conservation Trust to protect and increase kea numbers in the area.
Read on to meet TC’s six resident kea, learn which feathered friend you might spot next time you visit, and discover what we’re doing to help keep them safe.
Meet Mr. Pickles – an adult male kea. Named after one of Treble Cone's long-standing snowmakers, Mr. Pickles often accompanies the snowmaker during early morning hours. Legend has it the snowmaker played his harmonica before his kea friend hopped onto his lap.
Meet Tuki, Skea, and Charlie E – three adult males banded at Treble Cone ski field in the car park in September 2021.
Meet Mr. Crotty – an adult male banded at Treble Cone in August 2019 as a two-year-old. He is named after Dave Crotty, the Slopes Manager and one of TC's longest-serving staff members. In honour of Dave’s dedication, the TC whānau named this young male kea after him.
Freerider is named after, you guessed it, TC’s popular style of skiing and what the ski area is known for. You’ll most likely encounter Freerider in the car park, hanging out with his male associates!
What is Treble Cone Doing to Help?
This year, you’ll notice that we’ve installed kea protection stickers on windows to prevent window strikes. It helps the kea understand that they’re windows and they can’t fly through them. It’s a simple yet effective way to protect them.
Our TC team also participates in a long-term study of the kea population, helping the Kea Conservation Trust capture and band the birds. This allows us to better understand the population health of kea, which is currently poorly understood nationally.
Have you seen a kea? Report your sightings here! You can also help us protect our land, wildlife, and community by donating to the Cardrona Foundation, and supporting our efforts to safeguard the future.