The Kea Survey App is part of a long-term citizen science initiative designed to monitor the health of New Zealand’s kea population. Developed in collaboration with the Department of Conservation (DOC), the Withiel Fund, XEquals and George Moon, this app supports the existing web-based Kea Survey Tool at survey.keadatabase.nz.
The Kea Survey Tool measures temporal trends and spatial patterns in kea relative abundance. This data helps guide conservation decisions and inform long-term management strategies. To be statistically robust and useful at a population level, the tool relies on widespread public participation - ideally 2,000 to 3,000 people contributing survey data during their time in the backcountry.
The app was created in response to feedback from more than 200 people who contributed during the pilot phase. Contributors reported that a mobile app would make it easier and more intuitive to participate in kea surveys while in the field.
The Kea Survey Tool operates alongside its sister project, the Kea Sightings Database (keadatabase.nz), which records locations of individually identifiable kea to support research into kea movement and survivorship. While both tools serve different scientific purposes, they are complementary and used together to build a more complete picture of kea ecology.
By downloading the Kea Surveys app, members of the public can easily contribute to long-term monitoring of the kea population.