Michi

MICHI was banded in Arthur's Pass township in March 2026 as a fledgling. Visitors to Arthur’s Pass village love to spend time watching the kea who are Marvelously Inquisitive, Cheeky, Hilarious and Intelligent (hence the acronym MICHI). Kea are loved by both the residents of the village and tourists alike, with their inquisitive habits and cheeky, intelligent ways. When receiving her leg bands, MICHI was one of the tiniest little kea fledglings ever seen by the banding team. She was such a dear little thing. Michi is a Latin-American term of endearment meaning kitten or little kitty. The affectionate term often carries the connotation of a small, cute little animal. Michi the kea shares her name with another “Michi” (Michelle) - a bird enthusiast, who far from her northern hemisphere home, was thrilled to watch the beautiful kea up to their tricks during a visit to Arthur’s Pass village. This Michi shares her love of birds with the Barkley family who live in Arthur’s Pass and who named MICHI the kea.