Where to See Kea in Arthur's Pass National Park

Sighting map

Kea sightings in Arthur's Pass

Loading the Arthur's Pass map

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Where Kea has been reported, from 984 sightings. Not a live tracker: animals move, and an empty area doesn’t mean there are none.

Keep this map with you offline in the Parkwolf app

Timing

When to look

12 AM0% of the busiest hour1 AM0% of the busiest hour2 AM0% of the busiest hour3 AM0% of the busiest hour4 AM5% of the busiest hour5 AM21% of the busiest hour6 AM47% of the busiest hour7 AM68% of the busiest hour8 AM84% of the busiest hour9 AM89% of the busiest hour10 AM95% of the busiest hour11 AM95% of the busiest hourNoonBusiest hour1 PM95% of the busiest hour2 PM89% of the busiest hour3 PM89% of the busiest hour4 PM84% of the busiest hour5 PM68% of the busiest hour6 PM42% of the busiest hour7 PM21% of the busiest hour8 PM5% of the busiest hour9 PM2% of the busiest hour10 PM1% of the busiest hour11 PM0% of the busiest hour

Kea is most seen 9 AM–4 PM. Bars compare each hour with the busiest one.

Kea sightings by hour, as a share of the busiest hour
Hour	Share of busiest hour
12 AM	0%
1 AM	0%
2 AM	0%
3 AM	0%
4 AM	5%
5 AM	21%
6 AM	47%
7 AM	68%
8 AM	84%
9 AM	89%
10 AM	95%
11 AM	95%
Noon	100%
1 PM	95%
2 PM	89%
3 PM	89%
4 PM	84%
5 PM	68%
6 PM	42%
7 PM	21%
8 PM	5%
9 PM	2%
10 PM	1%
11 PM	0%

Audio tour

Hear about Kea on the drive.

Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays stories like this one as you drive Arthur's Pass, triggered by GPS and read through your car’s speakers.

Arthur's Pass Tour Guide

Spotting a Young Kea

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“If you see a kea, there's a useful clue to its age around the eyes and bill. Young birds have yellow eyelids and yellow skin at the base of the beak; those patches fade to grey as they mature.”

Plays as you drive near Greyneys Shelter in Parkwolf’s Arthur's Pass Tour Guide.

4.7 from 8,600+ ratings

Where to look

Arthur's Pass spots that mention Kea

Compare with the sightings

Places and trails whose Parkwolf guides talk about Kea. A good start, never a guarantee.

Places

SightŌtira Viaduct LookoutA quick stop for the viaduct, gorge and occasional kea.

Visitor centerArthur’s Pass National Park Visitor CentreStart your mountain day with track and weather advice from the rangers.

SightLake MavisA steep, faint climb to a lake beneath Mt Oates.

CampgroundAvalanche Creek Shelter CampsiteA handy village base if you can live with freight trains.

Trails

ChallengingAvalanche Peak Route6.8 km · 7 hrSteep forest, a razor ridge, and the gentler Scotts descent.

ChallengingMount Bealey Track3.2 km · 3 hrA steep bushline climb with big Arthur’s Pass views.

Wolf sightings in Yellowstone on Parkwolf’s Find Wildlife map, brightest around Lamar Valley — Wolf sightings in Yellowstone, in the app

Find Wildlife in Parkwolf

Every sighting map, in your pocket.

16 sighting mapsfor Arthur's Pass, on the same park map as your route
Works offlineout where the animals are and the signal isn’t
42 audio storiesplay as you drive Arthur's Pass, wildlife included

4.7 from 8,600+ ratings

Wildlife

More wildlife in Arthur's Pass

All 16 sighting maps

39 sightingsNew Zealand FalconFalco novaeseelandiaeMost seen 7–9 AM & 4–7 PMSighting map

190 sightingsBlue DuckHymenolaimus malacorhynchosMost seen 7–9 AM & 5–7 PMSighting map

20 sightingsKākāNestor meridionalis meridionalisMost seen 7–10 AM & 4–7 PMSighting map

15 sightingsWekaGallirallus australisMost seen 6–9 AM & 5–7 PMSighting map

15 sightingsParadise ShelduckTadorna variegataMost seen 7–9 AM & 5–8 PMSighting map

18 sightingsNorthern ChamoisRupicapra rupicapraMost seen 7 AM & 5–7 PMSighting map

45 sightingsBrushtail PossumTrichosurus vulpeculaMost seen 6–9 PMSighting map

24 sightingsBrown HareLepus europaeusMost seen 6 AM & 6–8 PMSighting map

Where to see Kea in Arthur's Pass