For the first time in our 40-year history, we’ve welcomed three healthy kea chicks to our whānau.
Hatched just over three weeks ago, these fluffy little arrivals have made Kiwi Park history. With kea breeding in human care carefully restricted for decades, this is an incredibly special milestone for our team.
Meet Mamakau, our super-mum
Proud mum, Mamakau, on the left, joined Kiwi Park just over two years ago and is about to celebrate her 12th birthday.
As for dad? Well, that’s still a bit of a mystery! Both of our resident male kea have been allofeeding Mamakau as she cares for her chicks, and we certainly have our suspicions.
The new arrivals will bring our flock from four to seven, creating a larger family group that reflects the natural social dynamics of kea in the wild.
A moment 40 years in the making
For our Wildlife Curator, Todd Jenkinson, this milestone has been a long time coming.
“Breeding kea at Kiwi Park for the first time in our 40-year history is an incredibly proud moment. As someone who first joined the Park more than 27 years ago, it is a milestone I have long dreamed of achieving.
“It is a credit to Kiwi Park’s commitment to kea and the outstanding work of our wildlife team. Kea are exceptional ambassadors, helping us share their conservation story and inspire visitors to protect them in the wild.”
Little chicks, big conservation story
Our kea are part of a conservation advocacy programme coordinated through the Zoo and Aquarium Association Australasia (ZAA), and we work closely with the Kea Conservation Trust and Kea Recovery Group to provide the best possible care.
As New Zealand’s only alpine parrots, kea are famous for their intelligence, curiosity and cheeky personalities. Sadly, they’re also nationally endangered.
“It’s incredibly exciting to hear about the arrival of new kea chicks at Queenstown’s Kiwi Park. The ex-situ kea population plays a hugely important role in supporting their threatened wild counterparts, not only through preserving valuable genetics and researching kea-safe tools, but also by giving visitors the opportunity to connect with these uniquely intelligent parrots and better understand the challenges kea face in the wild.” Tamsin Orr-Walker, Kea Conservation Trust
Our advocacy flock helps us educate visitors about the threats facing wild kea and how we can all help protect them. One way to make a difference is by following the Kea Pledge, which encourages responsible interactions with these remarkable birds in the wild.
When can you meet our newest arrivals?
Not long now! Our chicks are expected to begin fledging in just three weeks, when visitors may be lucky enough to spot them exploring our recently completed walk-through kea habitat.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on their progress and sharing updates as they grow, so stay tuned.
Forty and thriving!
As if our 40th birthday year wasn’t exciting enough, we also welcomed Tuku Iho, a beautiful brown kiwi chick, and Sam Neil, a rare Otago Skink, earlier in 2026. We’re incredibly proud of our wildlife team and everyone who has helped make this milestone possible. Here’s to 40 years of Kiwi Park and many more conservation milestones to come.
