Kea Indoor Enclosure

7th July 2015
Posted for a request

Am I the only one thinking that an indoor exhibit for keas isn't really necessairy?
At least not in a region with similar temperature conditions to their natural habitat.

zoomaniac said:

Am I the only one thinking that an indoor exhibit for keas isn't really necessairy?
At least not in a region with similar temperature conditions to their natural habitat.

Click to expand...

I don't think its necessary at all, far better to keep them outside and experiencing a more natural environment (rain, snow, etc). That exhibit also looks nothing like their native habitat - looks more like Australian woodland or outback, better suited for budgies and finches rather than an alpine parrot.

What's the minimum temperature that Keas can tolerate?
I don't know how cold Berlin can get but in Warsaw - where the Keas have an indoor area as well as an outdoor area - it can get to -20 or in extreme cases -30. Would Keas be able to stay outside in this?

I thought the theming was terrible as well. All of the enclosures in the Australasia section of the bird house (where this was) had an outback design.

In the Southern Alps of New Zealand temperatures can go down to -6° C and deeper (see: Weather statistics for Southern Alps (New Zealand) ? yr.no).
Also here in Zurich, Switzerland, where the Keas bred for the first time in Europe, the birds only had a small wooded, non heated indoor area (not open to the public) beside the outdoor cage. And in Zurich temperature can easily got down to -15° C. (all time record -21° C).
Please note that Zoo Zurich does no longer keep this species.