Cheeky Kea

The kea is a native bird of New Zealand. On a recent tour, the tour guide on our bus got very excited when she saw one sitting on a roadside sign, since they are pretty rare. I tried to take a picture of it as the bus rolled by, but it was only a blur in the frame. I was disappointed at missing the opportunity. On another day, our group went to a wildlife preserve. There, I encountered a cheeky little kea bird, that came right up to me and started pulling on a string that was hanging from my jacket. The next thing I knew, this sharp-beaked bird was pecking at my shoe, and punched a hole right through the leather! So now I have a permanent souvenir from my experience with the rare kea bird.