kea

¹ American  

[key-uh, kee-uh] / ˈkeɪ ə, ˈki ə /

noun

1. a large, greenish New Zealand parrot, Nestor notabilis.

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Kea ² American  

[key-ah, kee-uh] / ˈkeɪ ɑ, ˈki ə /

noun

1. Keos.

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Kéa ¹ British  

/ ˈkɛa /

noun

1. transliteration of the Modern Greek name for Keos

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Kea ² British  

noun

1. (in New Zealand) a member of the junior branch of the Scouts

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kea ³ British  

/ ˈkeɪə /

noun

1. a large New Zealand parrot, Nestor notabilis, with brownish-green plumage

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Etymology

Origin of kea

Borrowed into English from Maori around 1860–65

Example Sentences

The next highest votes went to the kea, which got 12,506 votes; and the kakaruia or black robin, which followed closely with 11,726 votes.

From BBC • Sep. 28, 2025

Rounding out the top five were the kea, kākāpō and the fantail.

From BBC • Nov. 14, 2023

At least one major zoo, at Chester, said it would close while Bristol Zoo said squirrel monkeys, kea parrots and red pandas were being fed frozen ice lollies filled with vegetables, leaves or mealworms.

From Reuters • Jul. 19, 2022

The first parrot species known to open trash bins was the kea in New Zealand in a park setting.

From New York Times • Jul. 22, 2021

And what is odder still, this evil habit has been developed in the kea since the colonization of New Zealand by the English, those most demoralizing of new-comers.

From Science in Arcady by Allen, Grant