Breeding
At least one observer has reported that the Kea is polygynous, with one male attached to multiple females. The same source noted that there was a surplus of females.
Kea are social and live in groups of up to 13 birds. Isolated individuals do badly in captivity but respond well to mirror images.
In one study, nest sites occur at a density of 1 per 4.4 km². The breeding areas are most commonly in Southern Beech (Nothofagus) forests, located on steep mountain sides. Breeding at heights of 1600 m above sea level and higher, it is one of the few parrot species in the world to regularly spend time above tree line. Nest sites are usually positioned on the ground underneath large beech trees, in rock crevices or dug burrows between roots. They are accessed by tunnels leading back 1 m to 6 m into a larger chamber, which is furnished with lichens, moss, ferns and rotting wood. The laying period starts in July and reaches into January. Two to five white eggs are laid, with an incubation time of around 21 days, and a brooding period of 94 days.
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