Keas – New Zealand’s Witty Daredevils | Free Documentary Nature

there are some parrots that just don't act like parrots the kias in new zealand just love the snow and the cold and the harsh climate of the mountains to survive here they've developed an unusual intelligence and resourcefulness mountain parrots but for some time now things are looking different in the snow [Music] and that is offering up a host of new possibilities for their intellectual talents [Music] they test some things and explore others they're also full of mischievous curiosity and they make friends but their world is changing new challenges new dangers will they manage to adapt [Music] from the beginning the birds have dominated new zealand and that throughout the country there are no mammals for every environment the matching bird species down below on the forest floor wingless kiwis poke around further up climbing among the trees are carcass the local inhabitants of the forest along the coast there are seagulls as there are everywhere but here their beaks look like they've had a makeover [Music] in the tufts of the grasslands the indigenous and rare takaha birds they tug at stem after stem with their beak to get to the grass seed and finally the sparse rocky regions this is the domain of the kias dried out bark so dry that one has to have a quick rinse foraging for little worms on thought-out meadows luxurious it is not burrowing for grass seeds or lapping up pollen from the flowers one must be resourceful and innovative to survive on top of these barren mountains [Applause] and one is not only talking about survival where to find a place to breed and to raise a family there are only a few that have seen a young kid in the wilderness corey mohsen is one of them he's underway on business as ranger and as conservationist from september until april corey tracks the kia's breeding burrows in the deepest wilderness far away from humans he's attempting to calculate a census of the new offspring how many chicks are there it's only when he's fully exhaled that he can fit through the narrow opening the den lies some meters under the surface but then corey is in luck his labors are rewarded two chicks that are clearly warm and well fed the young chicks remain underground for an entire three months under the watchful eye of their parent only then are they big enough and prepared for the harsh world outside corey would love to have the chance to see how they eventually leave the nest never to return undoubtedly with a little more ease than himself there is an abundance of caves in new zealand large amounts of water wash away the limestone forming paths and grottoes grottoes that one could only dream of a curtain of glowing pearls and this is how they're formed syrupy drops eeked out by the larvae of a fungusnet a deadly curtain for insects the larvae attract their prey with a light that's produced chemically in their body and they that fly too close to the light are trapped in the adhesive mesh the larvae silently slide along their pre-laid track towards their prey there is no escape for the moth with every flap of their wings they become increasingly ensnared striving for the light means certain death in this eerie cave world and thereafter as seen from a distance the brutal reality dissipates the ravenous larvae transforms into a glowing star on the canopy of the cave when corey thinks about caves he thinks about kia caves everyone is recorded in a book pedantically exact gps data age condition of the chicks and so on in a roots hollow he recently discovered three young kears and ringed them by now they should be old enough to leave the nest are they still there or have they already flown the nest tentatively he moves closer at the same time he looks for a suitable place to install a camera and to position a small light then he reverses himself outside again [Music] just three months old but already the size of an adult [Music] and as children are they have to explore everything [Music] one can see that they're young because of the yellow circles around their eyes also the base of their beak is a youthful yellow but eventually it's quite enough of cave life [Music] even mom thinks so [Music] and her call falls upon open ears [Music] [Music] well at last the first steps in an exciting world of light there are hard stones [Music] and soft bark to crumble the first practice with material substances mum always has an eye on the kids she molly coddles them and nibbles them [Music] but not all like to be mothered quite so much young kids are free to do everything [Music] the parents are extremely generous and remain relaxed whenever they're dismissed [Music] they've got if one could say a soft heart as if they know how hard the oncoming winter will be for the young ones only half will survive it the berries could be tasty one just has to try even if they are a bit high up [Music] there's just so much to try out [Music] like a microphone with a windshield for example and the sound recorders seem to be quite interesting too with his bright colors quite remarkable these bipeds and they'll have to examine this little camera only to find that it's not standing solidly [Music] the children are busy a chance for a little excursion to the road [Music] there's even a little food to be had but tourists aren't really so exciting [Music] they take hundreds of pictures with them but they forget something intriguing behind [Music] a soft and cuddly toy no one can resist [Music] regardless if young or old kias remain full of play their entire lifetime a toy might be a bit of fun but playing together is the best [Music] kias find their way in the world through play but for all there remains one question why do they live in the mountains why not further down in the green forests there there'd be soft cushions of moss instead of hardened stone there's clear water where one could even take a bath luxurious greenery and plentiful fruit but the kias have been refused such a paradise others were simply there first the forest parrots the carcass they are the masters of climbing their powerful beak is perfect for harvesting the fruit [Music] they love climbing the labyrinth of the branches and only use their wings when necessary in short the kakas were made for life in the forest here they are showered with everything they need to rid themselves of such competition the kias remain in the cold mountainous regions a tough luck of the draw it's true but it was the impetus for their unusual intelligence and creativity [Music] kaka's in comparison were never forced to develop such mental faculties the forest offers them all they could wish for in the spring the trees even offer up sweet honey for them the white bloom that covers the trunks of the trees is made up of millions of fine strands each decorated at the end with a little droplet of sugar it's honeydew mealy bugs beneath the bark only a couple of millimeters in size but it is they that send it through hairline ducts a centimeter long to the outside the forest produces confectionery and there is no shortage of takers [Music] the bell bird nibbles drop after drop [Music] while the kaka licks with a flattened tongue the sugared juice is more than a snack he collects it for others hopping and clambering he makes his way back to his tree hollow [Music] here the furry recipients are waiting they've just hatched [Music] the kaka's chicks need the sweet dew as a form of energy and they come from a world where the forest provides it via the mealy bugs matched like a hand to a glove kakas are the children in the forest naturally they need other forms of nutrition and there is a new somewhat curious alternative that presents itself in a clearing in the middle of the forest a pedal bin one steps on the front and it opens revealing a supply of nuts all by itself one doesn't need to think about it too much you just have to be heavy enough the feeding machine is designed to test the intelligence of the carcass are they really less capable than the keyers in the mountains [Music] the biologist julia lopez wants to put it to the test and changes it a little bit the same box but this time without a pedal it'll be filled with tempting cashew nuts forest parrots are much shyer and more withdrawn than the keys and need a further invitation but without the pedal it's a bit tricky the lid simply closes again [Music] without a clue there has to be something to do about it but gravity is against the birds there's only one watching on as if he knew better [Music] and it's true now he makes his move lift it from the side and flap it over that's how you do it [Music] one of them has set the example will the others follow it forest parrots it seems are not the brightest of contestants but why should they be in the forest the food just seems to fall into their beaks each has the ability that it needs so far so good however the great test of truth remains to be seen it was 1 000 years ago that the first people ventured on to new zealand soon they were hunting birds and clearing the forest 500 years later europeans are continuing the tradition with other resources they're converting it into the planet of the birds [Music] for the key is in the mountains that is of little danger at first everything that's new is worthy of a visit that's got its own particular appeal variety and change are their calling cards they're looking for conversation there's a walkie-talkie just the thing however soon they discover that all this tree cutting opens up some extra creature comforts on the inside of the decaying trunks there are fat larvae high in protein [Music] keyers have agile minds they utilize things for their own means sometimes not as they were originally intended the packing for this sandwich is empty it seems that today is not a good one at least a little drink of the bottle he's figured out the screw cap [Music] but unfortunately the bottle is empty [Music] even without sunshine an umbrella can still be useful [Music] and when it gets to be too wet a change of location is needed the other side of the mountain the weather is better perfect weather for flying for the professionals and the super professionals [Music] the interest is mutual [Music] experts together time to take a closer look but first back to the spectators area [Music] it goes with a long run up [Music] or from standing but each savors the carrying wind [Music] keyers like to get close to the paragliders out of pure curiosity to see what else is sharing their airspace do they just want to join in perhaps they simply have as much fun watching us as we do them [Music] but it's not such a big challenge for them that is somewhere else [Music] at the homer pass the road disappears under the colossal massive flying over the top is not a problem for kiers but does it have to be so [Music] where the cars go keyers can go too just right it's green that camper van is rather convenient a true test of courage [Music] head down until one gets to the other side that takes a lot of chutzpah kias simply make the best out of everything what could possibly happen but menace walks with a silent tread everywhere in the wilderness the birds enemies like cats and dogs have been brought by the humans rats and mice even the possum which was introduced from australia for its soft fur it finds the eggs and the chicks and worst of all the martin it kills what it can [Music] increasingly corey comes across the trails of these migrants and it's causing him concern the nest is destroyed the eggs cold and dead the tuatara could also be part of the list of suspects he with peaks on his back derives his name from the maoris the indigenous tuatara existed in prehistoric times with the dinosaurs and can only be found in new zealand they can live to be 100 years old and aside from insects they eat the kia's eggs and the chicks [Music] corey doesn't believe it for one minute and he's proved right he's set up ample surveillance cameras throughout the forest they're fitted with movement sensors he does on-the-spot checks regardless of the rain to see if the video traps have picked up anything it is as he feared martins are in the territory they track down the nests and help themselves it's all too easy for them as ground-based thieves the kias are powerless against the imported danger their way of breeding is tried and tested over millions of years and is deeply embedded in their genes what is to be done resources against martins that is the job of martin jedet traps for the martins are set up all over the area even in the remote mountain regions it's martin's job to monitor them the headquarters is a tin shack in the murchison mountains he lights the oven and drinks a cup of coffee unfortunately the radio set is dead with care and a pair of pliers martin gets it up and running again contact to the base station is re-established the relief to be in contact again is clear nothing hit top mckinsey [Music] and there it is it's as if the kia has sensed that something's going on here [Music] and martin lets it be known he's there as well he wraps out his presence on the saucepan [Music] a new sound and a foley artist that's something that nokia can resist it's much too curious [Music] one simply wants to know what's going on on one's patch [Music] time to give a bit of support to this sympathetic intellectual martin is out on a monitoring tour of the traps he loves these fairy tale-like mountains and its feathered inhabitants the traps are wooden boxes with a chicken egg as bait and a deadly springed bar similar to a mousetrap this one has managed to trap a rat also an enemy of the kia and here as a consequence of humans in fact it's even managed to kill two at the same time martin has cleaned the trap and put a new egg in at the next trap he discovers a surprise the trap has been sprung but there's nothing inside simply a broken eggshell and twigs how has that happened did a keyer possibly with a stick highly unlikely something like that has never been seen before martin also sets up surveillance cameras because there are a number of similarly sabotaged traps who could this mysterious saboteur be and what exactly happens the trap awaits the solution further down in the forests there are other concerns the clearing action is obviously distressing the carcass forest parrots without a forest is simply unacceptable their erstwhile paradise cleaned and neatly piled up stacked cubic meters for a depleted living space even where the forest is healthy there remains the threat it'll be gobbled up possums are also quite partial to leaves and 30 million possums are quite capable of stripping an enormous area in addition comes this without being noticed wasps have reached land via the military planes now they are reproducing rapidly and now it is they who are milking the mealybug sweet secretions millions of them swarm to the seas of sugar droplets their menacing buzzing dominates the forest are so greedy and aggressive that there is nothing left for others no more honeydew for the carcass less forest and introduced predators they've lost out three times at the same time as a first emergency measure sugar dispenses they quickly learn how to use them and the syrupy liquid seems to be in demand [Music] however it's not a permanent solution the future looks bleak for the carcass they missed the forest that they knew before the humans came [Music] and this is exactly what a new initiative is all about the plane is flying to a protected jungle area free from imported animals or should be the biologist iris brokema has the job to monitor the project she can only get to it from the water every other way is blocked by a metre high formidable fence [Music] nothing gets passed no possums no martins no rats and behind the fence new zealand as it once was [Music] but how can she check that someone hasn't perhaps slipped by [Music] iris uses an extremely simple but tried and tested method a finger of peanut butter on a black color field and then into the tube casing all the rest happens on its own without electronic devices whatever approaches the peanut butter gets blackened pores and thus leaves a trail simple as that this tube for example she prepared on her last visit and someone was in there the tracks of a wetter a long-horned grasshopper as with so many species in new zealand it originates from ancient times it's one of the largest insects ever measuring nearly 10 centimeters long a perfectly ideal world behind the fence [Music] the birds are moving here where they are safe from predators native cormorants come here to breed when the young are big enough to fly they move on again a small patch of new zealand as if the last 1 000 years had never existed the forest parrots exercise on the branches and lap up the pollen and the nectar as they did in the past there are no enemies no wasps and absolutely no lumberjacks a small oasis of recompense back to the mountains and martin and his traps [Applause] fighting kia killers with chicken eggs it sounds a bit primitive but it seems to work one martin less it's a lovely looking animal but without such measures the kias in the long run have no chance despite their intelligence and their aptitude for learning and then another trap sabotaged again the traps been sprung but nothing inside however this trap was under surveillance and when martin returns to his shack he sits straight down to have a look who is the culprit [Music] no question about it it's akira an old and experienced kia who sets about his business unbelievable now he's trying to cut down a tweak to the right size with his beak determined and persistent until it works then he pushes the twig into the small entrance of the trap martin is amazed at his persistence he fumbles and pokes tirelessly until he triggers it off and thus with a bit of luck he manages to get a little egg white the first proof that wild keyers have the ability to create tools and to use them even if this amazing feat of intelligence is not very clever for the long term [Music] for the younger kias such a virtuoso performance might be a bit too much like children they still have a lot to learn however the impetus for such acts is their near insatiable curiosity a trap for martins is naturally something to pique their interest somehow fascinating what could one do with that [Music] and what about this metal grate [Music] it looks like something is going through its head [Music] somehow the trick with the stick seems to be in the blood [Music] but only as a game they chew off the bark and throw it all around [Music] but such games could develop into the same specific application as a tool the kia is one of the most intelligent birds but of course who knew that better than corey persisting in building their breeding hollows underground they're simply following an instinct from time immemorial but in cory's opinion even that could change he believes that he's discovered a sensation a kia mother that decided instead to breed in a tree hollow of that he's sure she incited her new offspring on their first outing to flap clumsily from one branch to the next instead of walking on the ground [Music] two months previously corey made a video of this unusual nursery [Music] he can hardly believe it himself such a quantum leap from a nest underground to a much safer trio who knows perhaps these highly intelligent peers are just about to write a piece of evolutionary history and defy their ancestral breeding habits one could believe them quite capable of it [Music] new zealand is a world unto itself a small planet in the pacific hot springs majestic mountains water and green in abundance all this was the stage for the unique ascendancy of a bird unless the humans should put an end to it thus today the fight is set to save the parrots and other bird species from that time a hopeless fight it is not [Music] [Music] [Music] you

Channel: Free Documentary - Nature

Views: 580,337

Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full documentary, HD documentary, documentary - topic, documentary (tv genre), nature documentary, Free Documentary Nature, Nature, Wildlife, Wildlife Documentary, Animals, Animal Documentary, Animal Documentary 2022, Kea, Kea Documentary, New Zealand, New Zealand Documentary, Down Under, New Zealand Wildlife, Kea Parrot, Parrots, Parrot Documentary, Curious Birds, Curious Animals

Id: WwVW673Jd3Y

Length: 43min 30sec (2610 seconds)

Published: Fri Apr 01 2022