Brody Gamble, Kea, Kaitiaki (Guardians) of the Mountain (ANIMAL 2024)

The Kea - Kaitiaki (Guardians) of the mountain, Clown of the Alps, my favourite bird. Kea are the world's only alpine parrot and are also considered the smartest birds in the world. Unfortunately, the populations of these cheeky and charming birds are in decline. They are listed as a threatened species, with only 5000 estimated to remain in the wild.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.