Most parrots like jungles and palm trees. The kea decided to do the opposite. They live above the tree line, where the air is thin and there's snow for half the year. Their bright orange under-feathers flash like fire when they fly past a snowy peak.
Keas are about as smart as a three-year-old child. Scientists have set them puzzles - levers to pull, boxes to open, sticks to use as tools - and keas figure them out remarkably fast. They also remember solutions for years and teach them to their friends.
They are also terrible thieves. Hikers and skiers have to put away anything shiny, soft or pull-able before a kea finds it. Keas have been known to peel the rubber off car windscreen wipers, unzip backpacks, untie shoelaces, and run off with sunglasses. Not because they're hungry - they just want to know what happens.
Despite all the mischief, keas are clearly happy when they are with other keas. They play with each other for hours, throwing things, somersaulting, chasing each other through the air. Scientists who study them call this kind of play 'mountain clown behaviour' - they really do seem to be having fun.