Editing Kea (section)

===Conservation===
In the 1970s, the kea received partial protection after a census counted only 5,000&nbsp;birds. The government agreed to investigate any reports of problem birds and have them removed from the land.<ref name="Diabond99">Diamond, J., Bond, A. (1999) Kea. Bird of paradox. The evolution and behavior of a New Zealand Parrot. Berkeley; Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press. ({{ISBN|0-520-21339-4}})</ref> In 1986 the kea was given absolute protection under the [[Wildlife Act 1953]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Wildlife Act 1953 |url=https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1953/0031/latest/whole.html |website=New Zealand Legislation |publisher=Parliamentary Counsel Office |access-date=18 January 2022}}</ref> Kea are also listed under Appendix II of the [[CITES|Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)]] meaning international export/import (including parts and derivatives) is regulated.<ref name="Appendices {{!}} CITES">{{Cite web|title=Appendices {{!}} CITES|url=https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php|access-date=2022-01-14|website=cites.org}}</ref>

Despite being classified as Nationally Endangered in the [[New Zealand Threat Classification System]]<ref>{{cite book | last1=Hitchmough| first1=Rod | last2=Bull | first2=Leigh| last3=Cromarty|first3=Pam | title=New Zealand Threat Classification System lists 2005 | url=http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/science-and-technical/sap236.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/science-and-technical/sap236.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|year=2007 | publisher=Department of Conservation | location=Wellington | isbn=978-0-478-14128-3}}</ref> and endangered in the [[IUCN Red List]] and protected by law, kea are still deliberately shot. For example, in the late 1990s, a [[Fox Glacier]] resident killed 33&nbsp;kea in the glacier car park<ref name="Human-kea conflict"/> and in 2008, two kea were shot in Arthur's Pass and stapled to a sign.<ref name="Stuff.co.nz_248668"/>

Kea deaths due to traffic have prompted the [[NZ Transport Agency]] to install signs to help raise awareness, and to encourage people to slow down if necessary.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.doc.govt.nz/news/media-releases/2017/drivers-urged-to-slow-down-for-kea/|title=Drivers urged to slow down for kea|website=DOC.govt.nz|publisher=[[New Zealand Department of Conservation]]|date=25 August 2017|access-date=2017-09-21|language=en}}</ref> In Fiordland National Park, there have been concerns that kea are particularly at risk from road traffic at the entrance to the [[Homer Tunnel]]. Kea have been regularly observed on the roadway, moving amongst vehicles waiting to pass through the one-way tunnel.  People feeding the birds was one cause of the problem.  In 2017, a gym for kea was built near the Homer tunnel entrance, in an attempt to lure the birds away from the road.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nicoll |first=Dave |date=2018-01-09 |title=Roadcone-moving kea get gym to distract them away from traffic |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/100321972/roadconemoving-kea-get-gym-to-distract-them-away-from-traffic |access-date=2022-05-29 |website=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |language=en}}</ref>

A [[citizen science]] project called the "Kea Database" was launched in 2017 that allows for the recording of kea observations to an online database. If the recorded kea are banded, it is possible to match observations with individual named birds, enabling the monitoring of the habits and behaviour of individual kea.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://keadatabase.nz|title=Kea Database|website=keadatabase.nz|language=en|access-date=2017-09-21}}</ref>

Some are calling for kea to be reintroduced into predator-free zones on the North Island. A former curator of Natural History at [[Whanganui Regional Museum]], [[Mike Dickison|Dr Mike Dickison]], told ''[[North & South (New Zealand magazine)|North & South]]'' magazine in the October 2018 issue that the birds would do well on [[Mount Ruapehu]].<ref name=":0" />

Kea conservation is supported by the [[non-governmental organization|NGO]] [[Kea Conservation Trust]], founded in 2006 to protect kea.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kea{{!}}Nestor Notabilis{{!}}Kea Conservation Trust NZ|url=https://www.keaconservation.co.nz/|access-date=2020-09-03|website=Kea Conservation Trust|language=en-US}}</ref>

The total kea population was estimated at between 1,000 and 5,000 individuals in 1986,<ref>{{cite journal|last1 = Anderson|first1 = R|year = 1986|title = Keas for keeps|journal = Forest and Bird|volume = 17|pages = 2–5}}</ref> contrasting with another estimate of 15,000 birds in 1992.<ref name="BondDiamond1992">{{cite journal|last1 = Bond|first1 = A.|last2 = Diamond|first2 = J.|year = 1992|title = Population Estimates of kea in Arthur's Pass National Park|url = http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1030&context=bioscibehavior|journal = Notornis|volume = 39| issue=3 |pages = 151–160| doi=10.63172/579731lppnnh }}</ref> The kea's widespread distribution at low density across inaccessible areas prevents accurate estimates.<ref name="Diabond99" /><ref name="Elliott">Elliott, G., Kemp, J. (1999). [http://keaconservation.co.nz/pdfs/conservation_ecology.pdf Conservation ecology of Kea (''Nestor notabilis'')] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100513044523/http://keaconservation.co.nz/pdfs/conservation_ecology.pdf |date=13 May 2010}}. Report. WWF New Zealand.</ref> Estimates published in 2017 suggest a population of between 3000 and 7000 individuals.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.doc.govt.nz/kea|title=Kea|publisher=[[New Zealand Department of Conservation]]|website=DOC.govt.nz|language=en|access-date=2017-09-21}}</ref>